HJK secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Olund United in the Championship Playoffs fourth round on Friday evening. The result keeps the hosts firmly at the summit of the table, while the visitors slip further back in their pursuit of a top-four finish. By then, the atmosphere at the stadium had reached a fever pitch as both sides pushed for control.
Kerttu Sarelus opened the scoring in the twenty-eighth minute, striking with precision to give HJK an early advantage. Olund United's response came quickly, with an own goal in the thirty-third minute that doubled the hosts' lead. And here's the thing about such an early breakthrough — it changes how teams approach the rest of the game entirely.
The visitors showed resilience but could not find an equaliser before half-time. HJK extended their lead in the fifty-eighth minute, with Sarelus completing her brace to put the result beyond doubt. Olund United kept knocking on the door but the home defence held firm, seeing the game out with composure.
Both managers made changes to try and shift momentum, with eight substitutions recorded across the final twenty minutes. Sonja Hillberg, Anna Nurmi, and Lacee Betha came on for HJK in quick succession around the sixty-eighth minute. Olund United brought on Victoria Veber and Adela Ratts at the eighty-minute mark, while Sarelus herself was withdrawn in the eighty-fourth.
The victory moves HJK further clear at the top of the Championship Playoffs, extending their advantage to eleven points over second-placed Olund United. With thirteen wins from fourteen matches, the hosts have only one defeat to their name this season. The result means HJK hold the tie in their own hands, with just one more game remaining to clinch the title.