Mäkelä does the business for HJK
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Article summary
HJK Helsinki 1-0 Glentoran FC (Agg: 1-0) Juho Mäkelä's goal separates the sides after two close legs.
Article body
Few chances
In a game of few clear chances, the team from east Belfast went close to taking the lead on the stroke of half-time when midfield player Colin Nixon saw his 25-metre effort well saved.
Morris save
Mäkelä strike
In the second half it was HJK who held their nerve. With the spectre of extra time threatening, they finally snatched the tie's first, and decisive, goal in the 73rd minute courtesy of forward Juho Mäkelä's tap-in after Morris failed to hold a Mika Kottila shot.
Turpeinen sent off
MTK await HJK
It is now eight years since a team from Northern Ireland have made it through the UEFA Cup or Champions League qualifiers. For the Finnish champions it was a highly successful evening though, and they can now look ahead to a second qualifying round encounter against MTK Hungária FC.