Hämeenlinna saw off Lukko 4:3 in a club friendly on Thursday evening, the final whistle confirming a result that reflected the back-and-forth nature of a match neither side fully controlled. The hosts had been building momentum through their pre-season, while the visitors were still finding their rhythm after a difficult run of results.
And here's the thing — Lukko had not had the best of recent outings. They had lost three of their last five, including a heavy 8:3 defeat to Essiet and narrow defeats to Turku's TPS. Hämeenlinna, by contrast, had won four of their past five, though they had stumbled against Essiet on 12 August.
To be fair, a 4:3 scoreline in a friendly tells you little about the full picture, but the margin suggested Hämeenlinna's attack was clicking while their defence still had work to do. The visitors refused to go away, pressing for an equaliser until the final minutes, but the hosts kept their heads and saw it out.
The result moves Hämeenlinna further into their pre-season preparations, giving them something to build on from the solid performances against Vaasa and Jokerit earlier in August. Lukko will need to find more consistency if they are to avoid repeating the pattern of slipping in crucial moments.