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VPS beat Ilves for first win as Veikkausliiga new boys TPS still unbeaten

AN

Anthony Tomas

Published 1 month ago

Ilves' awful start to the new Veikkausliiga season continued as they gave VPS a first win of the campaign, while TPS stayed unbeaten with a draw with Gnistan as SJK and Jaro also shared the spoils.

[p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ilves-pYGmWmwa/vps-8GveH5dA/?mid=fFNM3nDN"]VPS 3-2 Ilves[/a][/b][/p][p]Last season's third-placed side have picked up just one point from their first four matches this term, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ilves-erik/z5imJpdi/"]Ilves[/a] gave themselves too much to do after what was a perfect first half for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vps/8GveH5dA/"]VPS[/a], who held on for a first league win of 2026.[/p][p]The game was only four minutes old when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronnberg-vilmer/pba5Z0DA/"]Vilmer Ronnberg[/a] fired the home side ahead[/b] at a scrappy corner, and VPS were two up after 27 minutes, as [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muzinga-jonathan/lGZcxuPn/"]Jonathan Muzinga[/a] charged down goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krkalic-faris/SI7CTkL3/"]Faris Krkalic[/a]'s attempted clearance and tapped into the empty net.[/b][/p][embed guid="a4ed5962-fdf2-48b3-bccd-c79ac7f099e7" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2047701773956022294" social-type="twitter" /][p]But the crucial goal turned out to be VPS' third, which came in first-half added time when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/turfkruier-jayden/Sp5iELqH/"]Jayden Turfkruier[/a] set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindholm-simon/hYjiBqtB/"]Simon Lindholm[/a][/b]. Crucial, because [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ilves/pYGmWmwa/"]Ilves[/a] hit back in the second half, beginning with [b]a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kanga-jardell/EuUxbUbQ/"]Jardell Kanga[/a] penalty[/b] five minutes in, before [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/multala-oskari/dtREySiE/"]Oskari Multala[/a] scored from a corner[/b] just after the hour mark.[/p][p]However, the Vaasa side managed to shut up shop over the last 30 minutes and hold out for the win with takes them into the top half for the time being on five points. Ilves sit 11th on one point.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/gnistan-Aa28K98n/tps-dM4FE3tT/?mid=E5FE58rB"]TPS 1-1 Gnistan[/a][/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps/dM4FE3tT/"]TPS[/a] are enjoying life back in the top flight, third in the standings and still unbeaten thanks to a 94th-minute equaliser that denied Gnistan a first win of the campaign. The Helsinki side did at least earn a first point, but they continue to prop up the table.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akinyemi-adeleke/d2oRQFu0/"]Adeleke Akinyemi[/a][/b] shrugged off the last defender to get on the end of a long clearance from goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/craninx-alexandro/zHpRDaQd/"]Alexandro Craninx[/a], [b]before rounding the TPS 'keeper and rolling the ball over the line[/b] to give the visitors a 70th minute lead.[/p][p]And that looked to be that, until deep into stoppage time when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zaal-timo/KAnsya1g/"]Timo Zaal[/a] threaded a ball through to [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anini-jr-samuel/UPI4sG90/"]Samuel Anini[/a] who, from the left side of the area, guided the ball into the opposite bottom corner[/b] in style to snatch the draw.[/p][embed guid="9f3f9128-784e-4309-b4b3-cd0cf888acd6" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2047724573647306917" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/jaro-faEPan8O/sjk-hj3ima3I/?mid=jo9hbQzo"]SJK 1-1 Jaro[/a][/b][/p][p]A goal of the season candidate was scored 10 minutes into the match in Seinajoki, as [b]Luka Wekstrom cut in from the left, took aim from 35 yards and sent an absolute rocket into the top corner[/b] to give [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jaro/faEPan8O/"]Jaro[/a] the lead.[/p][p]But winless Jaro were forced to settle for their third successive draw thanks to an equaliser early in the second half, when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mastokangas-elias/4GUynsrc/"]Elias Mastokangas[/a] picked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/streng-jeremiah/UV7xEo6J/"]Jeremiah Streng[/a] to score his second of the season[/b] for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sjk/hj3ima3I/"]SJK[/a], who are a point and place ahead of Jaro in the table, still with one win to their name.[/p][embed guid="05d6167f-2fe7-4c36-9b95-7898905b5604" url="https://x.com/Veikkausliiga/status/2047712218746093933" social-type="twitter" /][p]Two more matches this weekend will be played on Saturday, before the two sides who have dominated the Veikkausliiga for the past decade, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kups/nLBbqJDS/"]KuPS[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hjk/nmjJVR7B/"]HJK[/a], meet in Kuopio on Sunday.[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/finland/veikkausliiga/"]Follow the 2026 Finnish top flight on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]

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