EPS Reservi claimed bragging rights in an Espoo derby on 27 September 2026, defeating LePa 3-1 in the Finnish Kolmonen. The reserve side of Espoon Palloseura produced a composed second-half display to turn a tight local contest into a comfortable three-goal evening, strengthening their position in the upper half of the table.

Quick facts

• Competition: Finnish Kolmonen (fourth tier of Finnish football)
• Result: EPS Reservi 3-1 LePa
• Date and kick-off: 27 September 2026, 22:00
• Venue: EPS home ground, Espoo

Match overview

Kolmonen football in the capital region is rarely short of intensity, and this meeting between two Espoo-based clubs followed the script. EPS Reservi started the brighter of the two sides, pressing high and forcing LePa into a string of hurried clearances. The reward arrived inside the opening quarter of an hour, when a quick turnover in midfield released the home attack and Ville Haapala finished low into the far corner to make it 1-0.

LePa responded well. The visitors grew into the game as the half wore on, finding space down the flanks and testing the EPS back line with a series of crosses. Their persistence paid off shortly before the interval, Mikko Salo arriving at the back post to convert a delivery from the right and level the score at 1-1. It was no more than LePa deserved for their response, and the half-time whistle arrived with the derby finely balanced.

Key moments

• 14' – EPS Reservi 1-0: Ville Haapala opens the scoring after a high press forces a turnover.
• 41' – EPS Reservi 1-1: Mikko Salo equalises for LePa with a back-post finish.
• 57' – EPS Reservi 2-1: Onni Rautio restores the lead with a first-time strike from the edge of the box.
• 78' – EPS Reservi 3-1: Jere Laine seals the points on the counter-attack.

Tactical story

The decisive difference came after the break, when EPS Reservi adjusted their midfield shape to cut off the passing lanes that had served LePa so well before half-time. With the visitors' build-up slowed, the home side were able to win the ball higher up the pitch and attack in transition — precisely how both second-half goals arrived.

LePa, chasing the game in the final twenty minutes, pushed more players forward and left themselves exposed at the back. The third goal, finished coolly by Jere Laine after a lung-busting counter, was the inevitable consequence of that gamble. For a reserve side, EPS Reservi managed the closing stages with maturity, slowing the tempo and keeping possession rather than chasing a fourth.

Standout performers

Ville Haapala set the tone with his early goal and remained a constant nuisance for the LePa defence, while Onni Rautio's willingness to shoot from distance gave the home side an outlet whenever the game became congested. In midfield, the EPS Reservi captain controlled the rhythm of the second half and repeatedly broke up LePa's attempts to build through the middle.

For LePa, Mikko Salo was the clear bright spot. His movement in the box produced the equaliser and he remained the visitors' most dangerous player even as the match drifted away from them.

What it means

The win keeps EPS Reservi in good shape for the closing weeks of the Kolmonen season, adding three points and, just as importantly for a reserve side, more valuable minutes for young players pushing for senior consideration. Derbies in the fourth tier carry real weight in the Espoo football community, and the manner of this victory — recovering from a half-time setback to win by two clear goals — will please the coaching staff.

LePa, meanwhile, will rue a second half in which they surrendered the initiative they had worked so hard to claim. Their first-half performance showed they can compete with the better sides in the division; the challenge now is sustaining that level for the full ninety minutes.