Friday night’s match against TaPa was the kind of match we used to have a lot last year one level lower in Kutonen. Not only was the final score a convincing 0-5 away victory, but the victory was never in any real doubt throughout the match. We had a sharp start, scored very early, and got the insurance goal in the first half as well. In the other end of the field the opponent did not have any shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes. The atmosphere in the stands was markedly positive all around, a good night in Kaukajärvi.

Quite frankly, at times during the first half I had to dig deep to find the motivation to sing. The match was not very exciting, and the contrast to the previous match was just too much. Pyynikki and Kaukajärvi just do not compare, and obviously this match did not have any of the other elements that made the TahVe-match one of the most intense ones we’ve had this season. That said, during the second half the intensity in the stands increased gradually, no doubt helped by the hat-trick by Timo Kauppinen, and by the end of the match it was one of the best we’ve had in Kaukajärvi.

Despite Timo Kauppinen scoring three goals, the man of the match for me was Petri Vadén. He gave the corners that resulted in the headed goals by Osku Airesto (0-1) and Jan Irjala (0-2), and also passed Timo Kauppinen’s 0-4 goal. Additionally he had numerous other great passes that could have resulted in goal, and at least one great chance to score himself. Jan Irjala was another positive, a strong match from him like on the previous Sunday in Pyynikki, and his powerful header for the 0-2 was brilliant.

Looking at the table, we are now 7 points ahead of ViiPV and 17 points ahead of the current third-place team JanPa. All three teams have six matches left, so this means that we have all but guaranteed at least the second place and a spot in the promotion playoff match. That of course is not our goal though. The desired finish at the top of the table and direct promotion will be guaranteed by winning four of the remaining six matches (three if one of the wins is in the away match against ViiPV). The moment when promotion is on the line in a match is getting closer, and the anticipation ahead of the climax is going to be pretty intense.

TaPa – TamU-K 0-5 (0-2)
6 min 0-1 Osku Airesto
25 min 0-2 Jan Irjala
52 min Jan Irjala, TamU-K (pkm)
58 min 0-3 Timo Kauppinen
65 min 0-4 Timo Kauppinen
70 min 0-5 Timo Kauppinen

Discipline:
35 min Antti Eijamo, TamU-K (caution)
35 min Phalakorn Virtanen, TaPa (caution)
73 min Jani Kangas, TaPa (caution)