Lahli beat Jaro 2:0 in the Veikkausliiga's eighteenth round on Saturday. M. Sarr opened the scoring in the ninth minute before J. Ojanen added a second shortly after the hour mark. The hosts moved up to seventh place with 32 points, while Jaro remain 11th on 15.
By then, Lahli had already settled into their rhythm. They kept 55 per cent of possession and created five big chances against Jaro's zero. The visitors managed only one shot on target all game, a figure that tells you everything about their attacking threat.
The first goal came early, and that changed how the rest of the match played out. Jaro tried to respond but could not find a way through. Their goalkeeper made three saves, but that was all the game offered them in terms of clear opportunities.
There were plenty of changes in the second half. J. Brunell came on for Jaro in the 46th minute, followed by O. Kass Kawo and K. Harden. Lahli brought on O. Koskinen at 72 and then replaced their goalscorer M. Sarr in the 80th minute alongside J. Myrevik.
And here's the thing about the statistics. Lahli completed 528 passes compared to 412 for the visitors, but the real difference was in the final third. They pushed 124 passes into Jaro's half while the away side managed just 83.
To be fair, neither side had much to celebrate in terms of flair. Lahli won 17 aerial duels to Jaro's 17 as well, but it was the home side's ability to keep the ball that made the difference.