May 23 & 25, 2008: Round 08 of the Formula Division:
May 23:
Víkingur - KÍ Klaksvík 3-3 (1-2)
0-1 John Hammer
1-1 Símun Louis Jacobsen
1-2 Rodrigo
1-3 Rodrigo
2-3 Andreas Lava Olsen
3-3 Andreas Lava Olsen
KÍ looked to have climbed up to a provisional 3rd spot in the table when they were leading Víkingur 3-1 in the 2nd half, but Víkingur staged a great fight back to salvages a point.
KÍ made a perfect start when John Hammer netted in the first minute. However, Símun Louis Jacobsen levelled the score after 20 minutes, but with 2 goals from Brazilian Rodrigo 10 minutes on either side of half-time, KÍ looked to have wrapped up the match.
But Andreas Lava Olsen wanted it otherwise. KÍ have found it difficult to defend leads, and this became evident yet again this evening. On the hour mark Andreas Lava Olsen reduced the score with a fine long range shot, before he equalized with a last gasp effort.
May 25:
EB/Streymur – HB Tórshavn 2-1 (1-0)
1-0 Hans Pauli Samuelsen
1-1 Andrew av Fløtum
2-1 Arnbjørn Hansen
EB/Streymur opened up a 5-point gap by beating HB, who otherwise was the better side. But it looked like the match would end in a draw, but in stoppage time, Arnbjørn Hansen netted for EB/Streymur to snatch the 3 points with his 8th goal in 8 matches.
EB/Streymur made a positive start and looked sharp up front when they got close to the HB goal, and it took them only 6 minutes to carve out the opening goal. After a 1-2, Hans Pauli Samuelsen fired a low, well placed shot into the net from the edge of the penalty area.
EB/Streymur then immediately retreated and left the initiative to HB, who saw a lot of possession. Chances were created, but none of them were taken. But Andrew av Fløtum's long range effort deserved better though, when it smashed against the post. It would have been an absolute stunner.
Before that, Milan Kuljic also went close, but his effort was cleared off the line. Also Páll Mohr Joensen had a shot go close by the left post, and Andrew av Fløtum blasted wide from a good position after he had chested the ball down to himself.
Towards the end of the first half, EB/Streymur were getting more forward again, and Arnbjørn Hansen was always ready to get onto the end of the crosses. Once, he was just a couple of centimetres from connecting with his head, but ball went across to Hans Pauli Samuelsen on the left, and he then tried to curl the ball into the far corner, but Tróndur Vatnhamar palmed the ball away.
From the start of the second half, HB put a lot of pressure on EB/Streymur who showed no interest in going forward.
Jákup á Borg, who operated on HB's left flank, was given a lot of space during the second half, and a goal looked imminent.
After 10 minutes, á Borg went to the byline, made the cutback to Andrew av Fløtum on the corner of the goal area, and he fired the ball into the back of the net, between the goalkeeper and the near post.
But EB/Streymur seemed content with the draw as they were still not getting forward. But HB were going for the winner, and the chances for it were created. – But not taken!
Jákup á Borg and Andrew av Fløtum almost made a replica of the equalizing goal, but this time Andrew fired over the goal.
Milan Kuljic, who was placed inside the penalty area, was given plenty of time to aim, but his shot was straight on goalkeeper René Tórgarð.
Jákup á Borg had a couple of other tries, as did Andrew av Fløtum, but the finishing was off target.
And a couple of free-kicks from good positions were placed well over the goal. Also Hans á Lag, who had come on for Christian Høgni Jacobsen late in the game, was close with a header, but once again it was off target.
EB/Streymur had for the most tried to find always-dangerous Arnbjørn Hansen in front of goal with high crosses, but it wasn't closer than almost. EB/Streymur's best chance in the second half had come from a smart free-kick combination. Instead of going for the direct shot, Hans Pauli Samuelsen cleverly played the ball just past the wall to Brian Olsen who hit the post.
Right at the death, HB were pushing for a late winner and tried to put the ball into EB/Streymur's penalty area. But EB/Streymur intercepted the ball and Hanus Eliasen went forward with it. He covered it well, and escaped 3 or 4 HB challenges before he was fouled 25 meters from the by-line, near the touch-line.
Not wise, EB/Streymur's good statistics with set-pieces taken into consideration. And it proved fatal for HB.
Although the referee only blew his whistle after the free kick had been taken, it was still allowed, and the ball was put in front of goal where Arnbjørn Hansen's predatory instincts won EB/Streymur the game in stoppage-time. His 8th in 8 league matches.
However, will this cost EB/Streymur the title in the end? Stupid question, right?
Well, Hansen's goal scoring abilities have been noticed abroad, and during the week he has been training with Danish Superliga club OB Odense for a couple of days. Should this end in a contract for Hansen, EB/Streymur will only be half the side they are now.
But for now, EB/Streymur have opened up a commanding lead in the table; leading HB with 5 points.
HB, however, probably played their best match of the season, but unfortunately you don't get style marks in football.
B36 climbed up to 3rd with a 1-0 win over B71 Sandoy. Hanus Thorleifsson scored the winner with a header 17 minutes into the match.
B71 are getting more and more isolated in the bottom and are now 5 points from the all-important 9th place. And with a tough schedule ahead, they could stay there for a while. On Wednesday they take on Víkingur; a match B71 can ill afford to lose, because after that, they play against HB (H) EB/Streymur (A) and NSÍ (H).
NSÍ Runavík – Skála 2-2 (1-0)
1-0 Jónhard Frederiksberg
2-0 Øssur Dalbúð
2-1 Alexander Johansen
2-2 Arnold Berg
For NSÍ, this was a must-win game in order to stay in contention with EB/Streymur. And NSÍ were winning… until a few minutes from the end when Skála incredibly turned a 2-goal deficit into a 2-2 draw.
NSÍ had taken the lead with a Jónhard Frederiksberg goal midway through the 1st half, and when Øssur Dalbúð increased to 2-0 10 minutes after the break, the points looked sewn up.
But 3 minutes from the end, Skála's Alexander Johansen reduced the lead before Arnhold Berg equalized in stoppage-time.
Defending champions NSÍ are now 9 points adrift of leaders EB/Streymur and look to be out of it!
Skála need every point they can scrape together, but draws aren't going to cut it. They need some victories if they want to move above the line. But it's unlikely to happen on Wednesday, when they take on leaders EB/Streymur.
After a terrible start to the season, losing their 3 opening matches, B68 have turned it around and haven't lost since - won 3 and drawn 2 - and that has lifted them to an impressive 5th in the table.
B68's goals today were all scored by 2 of their Senegalese players who made it 2-0 within the first quarter of the hour. Ndende scored the first and Keita the second.
17 minutes into the 2nd half, ÍF reduced the lead with a header from Høgni Madsen. But a quarter of an hour later, Keita scored his second goal of the day to make the points safe for B68.
In addition to this, B68 had 3 efforts on the crossbar.