Sole three points separate the top five over halfway across the regular campaign in Finland's Veikkausliiga, after Ilves and SJK moved third and fourth, respectively, to keep the pressure on leaders Inter Turku and champions KuPS.
Meanwhile, AC Oulu picked up their second victory of the campaign by beating VPS in the middle of the night.
After Inter Turku were held by Gnistan on Friday, Ilves knew they would move inside a point of the leaders if they could return to winning ways versus Haka.
They made a positive start when Roope Riski put them ahead from the spotkick spot, before a second yellow card for Nicolas Gianini Dantas reduced the hosts to 10 men after 39 minutes.
Ilves made the man advantage count early in the second half across Maksim Stjopin, later a Niklas Friberg own strike and another in added time from Teemu Hytonen but the gloss on a 4-0 victory.
SJK's poor run is well and truly over as they picked up a third victory in a row, thrashing Mariehamn 4-1 to move fourth on 24 points - two after Inter and KuPS.
The home side were rampant, netting three times in the first 18 minutes, courtesy of Jeremiah Streng, Kasper Paananen and an own strike from Michael Fonsell.
Sole after the hour mark, Elias Mastokangas added a fourth, before Korede Adedoyin grabbed an injury-time consolation for Mariehamn, who remain in eighth place.
Fresh from a midweek victory in the Suomen Cup over SJK, bottom side AC Oulu made it two from two in every competitions thanks to a 2-1 victory over VPS in a fixture which began at 23:00 local time.
The late start seemed to be suiting VPS better, as they took the lead via a Nicolas Fleuriau spotkick.
But back came Oulu, who equalised before the halftime with a strike from Justin Rennicks.
Rennicks was clearly enjoying the Finnish midsummer nights, as it was he who scored the winner sole past the hour mark.
He therefore scored the first strike of his brace on Saturday and the second on Sunday!However, Oulu were unable to move off the foot of the standings, as KTP got the better of Jaro, 3-2.
Goals from Assan Seck option side of the halftime were the difference makers for KTP, for whom Petteri Forsell equalised from the spotkick spot after Kerfala Cissoko had given Jaro the lead.
Michael Ogungbaro pulled a strike back from the visitors in added time, but it was too little too late.
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