May 24, 2009: Round 09 of the Vodafone Division:

HB Tórshavn - KÍ Klaksvík
1-0 Hans á Lag
2-0 Andrew av Fløtum
3-0 Páll Mohr Joensen
3-1 Kristoffur Jakobsen
4-1 Andrew av Fløtum
4-2 Sørmund Kalsø

With an emphatic 4-2 win over bottom team KÍ Klaksvík, HB makes the most out of NSÍ’s surprise loss to AB Argir and open up a 5 point gap on top of the table.

KÍ had come to Gundadalur with an extremely defensive setup. It worked for a while, but eventually HB’s chances were getting bigger and sooner or later they were going to make one of them count.

The best of the early chances was an acrobatic effort from Fróði Benjaminsen after a cross from the right, but Benjamin’s shot was blocked by a KÍ defender.

KÍ were extremely rare guests on the HB half, but after the first quarter of an hour they surprised the HB defence when Heðin á Lakjuni raced down the left hand side and made a cross which HB just managed to clear for a corner before it got really dangerous, however.

And when 35 minutes had gone, KÍ were awarded a penalty when Hans á Lag pushed Erland B. Danielsen on the floor as he was getting clear of the HB-defence, but the incident was 2 metres outside the penalty area.

But goalkeepers don’t have to have too much fear when penalties are awarded, because before today’s penalty, 4 of 9 had been missed in the league so far. And when Heðin á Lakjuni had taken KÍ’s penalty today, that tally had grown to 5 out of 10 missed penalties, as Símun Rógvi Hansen made a fine diving save to deny KÍ. This was in fact KÍ’s second missed penalty of the season. (Update: As ÍF Fuglafjørður scored on a penalty against EB/Streymur and likewise 07 Vestur against B68, the correct statistics are now that 5 out of 12 penalties have been missed).

Who knows what might have happened if KÍ had taken the lead, because goals change football matches.

KÍ looked like they were going to hold on to 0-0 at halftime as the clock was approaching the first 45 minutes, but in quick succession, HB scored twice in the last 5 minutes of the half.

The first was scored on a rebound from centre-back Hans á Lag after Fróði Benjaminsen had hit the post after a corner from Rasmus Nolsøe.

Shortly after, Andrew av Fløtum’s long range shot caught Jákup Mikkelsen in the KÍ-goal by surprise to make it 2-0.

The second half was only 3 minutes old when HB went 3 up. This time it was Páll Mohr Joensen who struck a loose ball which took a wicked deflection and deceived the goalkeeper.

But KÍ were not quite done yet as they got a glimmer of hope when they reduced the deficit 4 minutes later when KÍ’s maybe best player, kristoffur Jakobsen (who for some reason had spent the first half on the bench) outpaced the HB defence to score easily when he got one-on-one with the HB goalkeeper.

However, there was never going to be any come back from KÍ as they simply don’t have the qualities for that.

Instead it was HB who went 4-1 up midway through the half with a glorious goal from Andrew av Fløtum. Left back Poul Thomas Dam made a diagonal cross from the left to av Fløtum who took the ball down with his chest on the edge of the penalty area before he fired it into the back of the net in off the crossbar.

KÍ got a consolation goal with 7 minutes remaining of normal time when the sleeping HB defence allowed Sørmund Kalsø to score from close range after a corner.

HB could have scored several more goals, but they seemed well satisfied with what they had.

HB’s next test is next Sunday away to highflying B68 who climbed to 4th spot in the table by beating 07 Vestur.

NSÍ Runavík – AB Argir 0-1 (0-1)
0-1 Jobin Drangastein

NSÍ suffered a major setback in their quest of catching leaders HB when they were beaten by newly promoted AB Argir.

AB scored the winning goal late in the first half in connection with a free kick. As the match was drawing to a close, AB goalkeeper Heðin Stenberg was stretchered off and had to be replaced by outfield player Hans Rubeksen who did just enough to keep the ball out during the late rally.

With the 3 points, AB have moved 5 points clear of 07 Vestur in 9th place and look relatively safe.

EB/Streymur – ÍF Fuglafjørður 2-2 (0-2)
0-1 Andy Olsen (pen)
0-2 Dánjal á Lakjuni
1-2 Levi Hanssen
2-2 Brian Olsen

For the forth time in succession EB/Streymur failed to get a win in the Vodafone Division. Today they only managed a 2-2 draw against ÍF Fuglafjørður which means that EB/Streymur are a massive 9 points behind the leaders. That’ll be impossible to make up.

ÍF took the lead after 20 minutes with a penalty from Andy Olsen and increased their lead a quarter of an hour later with a goal from Dánjal á Lakjuni.

This was also the half-time score last season when EB/Streymur turned it around in the second half to win 3-2.

History almost repeated itself today, but EB/Streymur only managed a draw this time.

EB/Streymur got their first goal some 10 minutes into the second half and equalized with 15 minutes left with a goal from Brian Olsen who had been on the bench in the first half. Strangely enough, also Bárður Olsen and Hans Pauli Samuelsen had spent the first half on the bench.

One person who was not on the bench, however, was EB/Streymur coach Sigfríður Clementsen who has been given a 2-match ban for saying inappropriate words about the referee when EB/Streymur drew with KÍ Klaksvík in the last round.

B68 Toftir – 07 Vestur 2-1 (1-1)
1-0 Jóan Símun Edmundsson
1-1 Jens Erik Rasmussen (pen)
2-1 Ameth Keita

In-form B68 recorded their third win at home in as many games as they won a narrow 2-1 victory over 07 Vestur.

Jóan Sínum Edmundsson headed B68 in front after a quarter of an hour, but Jens Erik Rasmussen equalized on a penalty 5 minutes later.

Some 10 minutes into the second half Keita from Senegal scored his 5th goal of the season to earn B68 the 3 points.

With the 3 points, B68 climb to 4th in the table. Next Monday (01 june), B68 take on leaders HB Tórshavn.

The situation is soon going to be critical for 07 Vestur and they will need to get a couple of wins under their belt. That will be difficult in the next 3 matches which are against EB/Streymur (h), NSÍ (a) and Víkingur (h).

May 25

Víkingur - B36 Tórshavn 3-1 (0-1)
0-1 Magnus Olsen
1-1 Sverri Jacobsen
2-1 Finnur Justinussen
3-1 Finnur Justinussen