April 26 and April 30, 2006: Round 06 of the Formula Division:
HB Tórshavn beat B36 Tórshavn 2-0 in a Dramatic Match
HB Tórshavn – B36 Tórshavn 2-0 (0-0)
HB Tórshavn narrowed the gap to leaders B36 Tórshavn to 3 points with a dramatic 2-0 victory in the Tórshavn derby.
It was evident from the referee's first whistle that the respect between the two Tórshavn clubs HB and B36 is enormous and nobody wanted to lose the game and therefore played very cautiously.
The first half was one of the most uneventful that has ever been played in Gundadalur Stadion. For the entire 45 minutes, there was not one real scoring opportunity!
- The only thing worth mentioning from the first half is that Ingi Højsted was carried of the field just 12 minutes into the first half.
But the second half turned out to be more entertaining and lively. Still not all-out-on-attack end-to-end stuff maybe, but it sure turned out to be very dramatic, indeed.
Midway into the second half, B36's Brazilian, Alex dos Santos was shown the red card and this proved to be a decisive factor for the result of the game. Santos was being chased by a HB player who suddenly fell to the floor and held his hand on his face, as in pain. After some negotiations with the assistance referee, Santos was shown the red card – allegedly for hitting the HB player in the face.
Alex dos Santos was furious and refused to go off the pitch and had to be pulled off by team mates and coaching staff.
With only 10 men on the pitch, and with 2 of their best midfielder out (Fróði Bemjaminsen suspended and Ingi Højsted injured) and with their third midfielder Mikkjal Thomasen already having received a yellow card and on the verge of getting a second, B36's midfield was severely weakened and HB took full advantage of the situation and put heavy pressure on the B36 goal.
Rókur av Fløtum Jespersen was close with a shot from close range, but goalkeeper Jákup Mikelsen narrowed the angle and brilliantly blocked the shot.
But just moments later, HB had a corner on the right, and Rasmus Nolsøe curled one of his always dangerous corners directly into the goal!
- Goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen protested angrily to the referee that he had been hindered in getting the ball, but his protests were dismissed.
B36 then had to throw caution to the wind in search for an equalizer and this opened up some gaps in the B36 defense.
On 75 minutes Rasmus Nolsøe took advantage of this, when he played a perfect through-ball to Jákup á Borg, but alone with the goalkeeper, he placed his shot wide of the goal.
HB could have decided the game then, but instead had to wait nervously to the end as B36 threatened the HB goal on several occasions, mostly from corners, but once, Sylla was clear with the only the keeper to beat, but Bárður Johannesen made a crucial block to deny the man from the Ivory Coast the equalizer.
When the clock had just passed the 90th minute, HB were awarded a penalty, when Jákup á Borg went down in the penalty area. – It looked like a cheap one, as it appeared to be a legal shoulder tackle, but the referee pointed to the spot. Rókur av Fløtum Jespersen sent the goalkeeper to the right and the ball to the left and secured HB 3 crucial points.
HB closed the gap to leaders B36 to only 3 points and are right back in the title race.
B36 will next play EB/Streymur on Sunday, April 7, but will have to do without the service of Fróði Benjaminsen (who was given a 2 day suspension for his red card against B68) and left back, Alex dos Santos (suspended for his red today), and possibly also Ingi Højsted, if he hasn't recovered from his injury by then. How will B36 cope without these important players?
And how about HB? Will they be the first team to beat KÍ Klaksvík? – That's on Sunday April 7th.
But before that, there's the rest of round 6 of the Formula Division this coming Sunday.
On Saturday (April 29), B36 take on Icelandic champions from 2005, FH Hafnafjørður, in the Atlantic Cup, the annual game between the Faroese and the Icelandic champions.
ÍF Fuglafjørður – VB/Sumba 1-2 (0-1)
VB/Sumba won the all important match against ÍF Fuglafjørður and are now in hot pursuit of B68 Toftir on the lifesaving 8th place. Only 2 points separate them and VB/Sumba will have the chance to overtake B68, if they can beat them next week in what will be a very important match. If VB/Sumba win, they suddenly have a realistic chance to avoid relegation, after having been written off already after only 5 games – not least on this site :-) But if VB/Suba lose, the gap to B68 is again 5 points, and then prospects look dim again. For ÍF, "dim” would almost be a positive word, as their situation seems to be absolutely hopeless: 6 games and 0 points. And at the moment, it's difficult to see where they can possibly get points. In two weeks time they take on B68. If ÍF are still without points after that game, then they can just as well turn out the lights…
EB/Streymur – Skála 2-0 (0-0)
EB/Streymur recaptured the top spot on the table with a 2-0 victory over Skála. In the first half, Skála showed some resilience, but when EB/Streymur piled on the pressure in the second half, Skála's injury-hit team couldn't resist anymore and Símun Niclasen and Bárður Olsen scored from longe range. Skála hasn't had the best of starts, and are a long way from the shape they have shown the last couple of years, but much of that is due to injury problems. At the moment, they are only 2 points ahead of a relegation place, but Skála will surely improve. But if they can improve enough to get a medal, as they have done the last 2 seasons, is maybe doubtable. EB/Streymur travel to Tórshavn in the next round, where B36 will try to reclaim the 1st place on the table.
GÍ Gøta - NSÍ Runavík 1-1 (1-0)
NSÍ's quest for a top placement took another nock today when they could only draw with GÍ Gøta, after having been behind at half time. And even if NSÍ played the last 25 minutes with 11 against 10, as a GÍ player received a red card, they were unable to score. NSÍ had high hopes before the season and dreamt about winning the title, but draws are not going to cut it for NSÍ and they might miss out on a medal all together, if they don't soon get their grip together. GÍ look more and more like a mid-table team and will probably settle in somewhere between 5th to 7th place on the table, at the season matures.
B68 Toftir – KÍ Klaksvík 0-4 (0-3)
Paul Clapson, who was meant to play in the goal for KÍ, but who so far has played as a forward, scored another 2 goals today in the match against B68. With the victory today, KÍ leapfrogged B36 and are in second place, just one point adrift of EB/Streymur and one ahead of B36. Next week, KÍ could claim first spot, if they beat old rivals, HB Tórshavn, and B36 and EB/Streymur draw. B68 on the other hand, are heading in the other direction, and will have to beat VB/Sumba next week, if they want to keep away from the relegation places.
All the results from round 06:
April 26, 2006
HB Tórshavn – B36 Tórshavn 2-0 (0-0)
1-0 Rasmus Nolsøe 66'
2-0 Rókur av Fløtum Jespersen (pen) 90'
April 30, 2006
ÍF Fuglafjørður - VB/Sumba 1-2 (0-1)
0-1 Birgir Jørgensen
0-2 Dan Djurhuus
1-2 Bartal Eliasen
EB/Streymur – Skála 2-0 (0-0)
1-0 Leif Niclasen
2-0 Bárður Olsen
GÍ Gøta – NSÍ 1-1 (1-0)
1-0 Poul Ennigarð
1-1 Christian Høgni Jacobsen
B68 Toftir – KÍ Klaksvík 0-4 (0-3)
0-1 Paul Clapson
0-2 Hjalgrím Elttør
0-3 Paul Clapson
0-4 Símun Joensen
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