August 17, 2008: Round 18 of the Formula Division:

HB Tórshavn – EB/Streymur 2-0 (1-0)
1-0 Hendrik Rubeksen
2-0 Rókur av Fløtum Jespersen

HB beat a poor EB/Streymur team, but as EB/Streymur's closest challengers, B36 Tórshavn, also lose, the loss has little bearing on EB/Streymur's position in the table where they still have an 8-point gap down to B36.

HB was the better team in the first half and after about 10 minutes, Hendrik Rubeksen went close with a header from a corner before he after 17 minutes put HB in front after EB/Streymur goalkeeper René Tórgarð had parried the initial shot from Milan Kuljic. Much of the foreplay had been done by Johan Ejvind Mouritsen on the right.

EB/Streymur created nothing on the other half and had no qualified finish on HB's goal during the first half. In fact, EB/Streymur’s play during the first half was very simple and a long way from the free-flowing passing-game they have entertained Faroese spectators with during the last few years.

However, EB/Streymur improved much from the start of the 2nd half and piled on the pressure, and early on, Arnbjørn Hansen was centimetres from equalizing, but with the goal at his mercy, Hansen put his effort wide.

However, some 10 minutes through the 2nd half, HB doubled their lead after a corner. EB/Streymur's headed clearance ended at the feet of Rókur av Fløtum Jespersen outside the penalty area, and he fired a flat shot through the crowd and into the back of the net.

After the goal, EB/Streymur's pressure eased off again and they rarely bothered HB’s defence which played very well today.

With a quarter of an hour left, 19-year-old Christian Mouritsen got his debut for HB. This was the first time he played in the top division in the Faroe Islands as he joined Manchester City’s youth academy in 2005. Today, he came on for his elder brother, Johan Ejvind Mouritsen.

EB/Streymur have only bagged 6 points from their last 6 games, but as their chasers keep losing when EB/Streymur lose, EB/Streymur stay 8 points in front.

With only 9 matches to go, and with 6 of them at home where EB/Streymur have a 100% recored, EB/Streymur look good for the title.

B68 Toftir – B36 Tórshavn 1-0 (0-0)
1-0 Jóan Símun Edmundsson

With a somewhat surprising victory over B36, B68 took a huge step towards safety where they now how 4 teams under them. However, only 5 points separate B68 from B71 in 9th place, so nothing is decided yet.

After a goalless 1st half, where B68 had created the better chances, B68 scored grabbed the winner a quarter of an hour from the end with a goal from 17-year-old Joan Símun Edmundsson. The youngster has now scored in his last 3 matches in a row. Today he had come on shortly before he scored, as he did against ÍF on Monday, and he is already being labelled “the super-sub”.

Amazingly, B68's lone goal today was only their 3rd goal in total at home (9 matches), but when B68 score, their goals count, because B68 still have earned 8 points with those 3 goals at home.

Had B36 won, they would have closed the gap on leaders EB/Streymur to only 5 points, but B36's problems up front, where they lack a real goal scorer, was evident yet again today. Remarkably, only B68 and Skála have scored fewer goals than B36.

KÍ Klaksvík – Víkingur 1-2 (0-1)
0-1 Sam Jacobsen
1-1 Owngoal
1-2 Sam Jacobsen (pen)

Víkingur snatched all points at the death with a penalty from Sam Jacobsen. Jacobsen had also made it 1-0 to Víkingur just before half time. Niclas Niclasen could have doubled Víkingur's lead in the 2nd half, but his penalty was saved by Jákup Mikkelsen in the KÍ goal.

Instead it was KÍ who equalized with a free kick from Heðin á Lakjuni 10 minutes before the end which Víkingur goalkeeper Geza Turi fumbled. - The referee noted it as an owngoal.

But as mentioned, KÍ's joy was short-lived as Víkingur grabbed a late winner with a penalty. In the same accident, KÍ goal scorer Heðin á Lakjuni was sent off for verbal abuse.

The loss for KÍ means that they are once again threatened by relegation, equal with ÍF Fuglafjørður in 8th, just 2 points ahead of B71 Sandoy in 9th place.

B71 Sandoy – ÍF Fuglafjørður 2-1 (0-0)
0-1 Andy Olsen
1-1 Clayton Soares (pen)
2-1 Clayton Soares

With their 3rd straight loss, ÍF, who looked relatively safe just before the summer break, are suddenly in real trouble, lingering in 8th place, just 2 points ahead of B71 in one of the relegations spots.

But things looked much brighter when Andy Olsen put ÍF in front in the 2nd half; and had that been the result, ÍF would have been 8 points ahead of B71 and virtually sure of another season in the top flight.

- But that wasn't the result, as B71 went on to score twice, both goals coming from Brazilian Clayton Soares, who otherwise hasn't been as effective in front of goal this season as he used to.

Soares's first came from a penalty with a quarter of an hour remaining. At the same time ÍF's goalkeeper Andras Gango had been sent off. And shortly before the end, Soares grabbed his 2nd to earn B71 3 points which place them within touching distance of ÍF and KÍ, who are just 2 points in front.

During the last week, ÍF (surprisingly) sacked their coach David Jones (more on that and other stuff in an update early next week).

Skála – NSÍ Runavík 1-1 (1-0)
1-0 Sjúrður Djurhuus
1-1 Bogi Løkin

With a draw against NSÍ, Skála are a point closer to safety than they were last week, but still 5 points adrift, it's going to be a titanic struggle for Skála to avoid relegation.