We did not score very early and we did not score that often, but a routine win over FC Rellu seemed inevitable from the starting whistle on Sunday evening. Our goal was never threatened very seriously, and possession numbers had to have been about 70-30. Just 2-0 was not what I and most others expected, but it was still worth the three points that we needed out of this.

The 1-0 goal was header by Lauri Heittola from a well placed free kick by Petri Vadén. This was in fact on the 13th minute, so maybe my opening statement is a bit harsh. However, that 13 minutes seemed like a long time, and the minutes between that and 75th minute 2-0 goal by Mika Kytöviita seemed even longer at times. I had never any real doubt about the ultimate victory, but when you are up just 1-0, there is the nagging thought that only one mistake might make things very difficult. I’m glad that at least the last 15 minutes were a bit easier on the nerves. FC Rellu effectively gave up at 2-0, probably in part because

of feeling tired after spending most of the match chasing the ball.

Besides the three points for me it was important that our planned first choice striker Kytöviita opened his account in his first match. The defense was again as solid as ever, which means that we have a solid foundation to build on. Anssi Saiha continued to impress in the play-making role, and Joonas Kupiainen was the unsung hero that he always seems to be. Wing play was not at its best, but that was in part due to Nawar Karikuss suffering a knee injury and Jacin Dakkaki feeling a little unsharp due to flu symptoms.

Next up we have a home match against OldSchool in Pyynikki on Saturday at 5:30 pm. It will be our last home match in Pyynikki for a while, so hopefully we will get a good attendance to show for it.