August 02 & 03, 2009: Round 17 of the Vodafone Division:

August 02

HB Tórshavn – 07 Vestur 4-3 (3-2)
1-0 Milan Kuljic
1-1 Tamba Yarjah
2-1 Bjarni Jørgensen
3-1 Fróði Benjaminsen
3-2 Jens Erik Rasmussen
4-2 Rógvi Poulsen
4-3 Tamba Yarjah

HB had 4 clear-cut chances before they finally scored just before the half-hour mark.

In the opening minutes Milan Kuljic played Andrew av Fløtum clear with a long pass, but although av Fløtum beat the goalkeeper, the weak shot was cleared off the line.

Milan Kuljcic then had an opportunity himself after some 10 minutes. Left back Poul Thomas Dam made a fine cross to Rókur av Fløtum Jespersen to set up Milan Kuljic with a shot from just inside the penalty area, but Kuljic’s shot was saved by the goalkeeper Trygvi Askham.

Fróði Benjaminsen then had two chances which he should have gotten more from. First he got clear of the defence and also managed to slip the ball past the keeper but only to see the ball be saved off the line. Benjaminsen had a similar chance a few moments later, but this time his shot was straight on the goalkeeper.

29 minutes into the match HB finally broke the deadlock. From centre of midfield Poul Thomas Dam found Rasmus Nolsøe near the cornerflag and Nolsøe’s cross again found the head of Milan Kuljic in front of goal to put HB in front.

But HB’s joy was short-lived because a couple of minutes or three later 07 Vestur had restored parity when their new forward from Sierra Leone, Tama Yarjah, received the ball in a clear position in the penalty area and turned to fire the ball into the back of the net.

But if HB’s lead was short-lived, 07 Vestur’s equalizer was even shorter as HB regained the lead immediately. Right winger Bjarni Jørgensen outpaced the 07 Vestur defender and managed to get the ball past the goalkeeper.

Later Marcin David who was in the HB-goal today (Símun Rógvi Hansen was away) had to be at his best to turn a 07 Vestur free kick around the post.

Just before half time Fróði Benjaminsen puth HB up 3-1 with a free header after a fine cross from the left.

But 07 Vestur still had time to reduce the deficit before half time when Jens Erik Rasmussen scored with a low shot via the post.

After the break 07 Vestur should have equalized as they got two great chances in the early minutes. On both occasions they got clear a bit to the left in the penalty area, but Marcin David made fine saves in both incident.

About a quarter of an hour through the second half the points looked safe for HB when Rógvi Poulsen got clear on the right in the penalty area and scored with a deflected shot, but 07 Vestur were given a lifeline when Tamba Yarjah reduced the score once more from close range after a flat cross from the right. Again HB’s defence looked careless.

But HB’s win was never in danger in the closing stages. Instead it was HB who were closer to score again when they hit the post.

HB’s win today was al but convincing, as it has not been in HB’s last 3 or 4 matches who have all been against the lesser teams. On Thursday HB visit KÍ Klaksvík before the last third of the league starts on 15 august and where the first four matches will be very decisive for HB as they play B68 Toftir (h), EB/Streymur (h), NSÍ Runavík (a), Víkingur (h). But with 3 of those games being at home, HB’s schedule looks favourable. But HB will have to improve however, because is they play like today, not many points will be collected in those 4 matches.

B68 Toftir – B36 Tórshavn 3-0 (2-0)
1-0 Ahmed Keita
2-0 Pól Jóhannus Justinussen
3-0 Nenad Stankovic

B68 Toftir opened the scoring with a 1st minute goal from Ahmed Keita (who now shares the top scorer spot with NSÍ Runavík’s Karoly Potemkin) and B36 never recovered from the shock. As the first half was drawing to a close, defender Pól Jóhannus Justinussen scored on a rebound to double the lead.

10 minutes into the second half Keita did the spadework to set up Nenad Stankovic for his first league goal for B68.

EB/Streymur - KÍ Klaksvík 7-0 (4-0)
1-0 Sorin Anghel
2-0 Arnbjørn Hansen
3-0 Hans Pauli Samuelsen
4-0 Alex dos Santos
5-0 Sorin Anghel
6-0 Leif Niclasen
7-0 Arnbjørn Hansen

After some turbulence at the club in recent days where captain Egil á Bø had retired a few days before the cup final on Wednesday after a dispute with the coaching team, and the coaches had been sacked on Thursday after the lost cup final, and a new coach had been brought in on Friday, today’s result suggests that EB/Streymur is a team in full harmony.

The onslaught started already in the first minute with a goal from Rumanian Sorin Anghel.

16 minutes later it was 4-0!

Arnbjørn Hansen’s acrobatic finish after a rebound from the post made it 2-0 after 9 minutes. Hans Pauli Samuelsen made it 3-0 on 13 minutes after KÍ goalkeeper Eilif Arge (who had replace injured Jákup Mikkelsen) initially had saved from Hansen. And four minutes later Brazilian Alex dos Santos dribbled past the goalkeeper to make in 4-0.

EB/Streymur added another 3 in the second half. Sorin Anghel made it 5-0 after 70 minutes and six minutes later Leif Niclasen made it 6-0 before Arnbjørn Hansen scored his second of the afternoon to finish the 7-0 rout five minutes from time.

You might be tempted to think that it was goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen’s absent in the goal that was the reason for KÍ’s lacklustre performance, but think again, because it wasn´t. Actually his 18 year deputy, Elif Arge, was maybe KÍ’s best player with several saves.

Todi Jónsson was also missing for KÍ through injury.

Víkingur – AB Argir 1-0 (0-0)
1-0 Finnur Justinussen

Víkingur dominated the first half, but it wasn´t until late in the half that they got the goal after Andreas Lava Olsen played Finnur Justinussen clear for an easy finish.

The second half was more even, but AB didn´t manage to score, however.

August 03:

NSÍ Runavík – ÍF Fuglafjørður 4-1 (3-1)
1-0 Jann Ingi Petersen
1-1 Balazs Sinko
2-1 Óli Hansen
3-1 Einar Hansen
4-1 Klæmint A. Olsen

Having lost two profiles in the summer break – Hjalgrím Elttør and Høgni Madsen – to KÍ klaksvík doesn´t seem to have any influence on NSÍ’s performances. – On the contrary maybe. The return of Christian Høgni Jacobsen also helps weighing up for that.

And it was Christian Høgni Jacobsen who set up Jann Ingi Petersen to give NSÍ the lead after 19 minutes.

Although Balazs Sinko equalized for ÍF 7 minutes later, NSÍ quickly restored the lead when defender Óli Hansen head home three minutes later in connection with a free kick.

Shortly before half time left back Einar Hansen made it 3-1 after ÍF had failed to proppery clear after a corner.

Ten minutes into the second half Klæmint A. Olsen took advantage of a mistake in the ÍF-defence to make it 4-1.

Towards the end NSÍ's Jann Ingi Petersen was sent off after a second bookable offence.

Vodafone top scorer Karoly Potemkin (who is now equal with B68’s Ahmet Keita) didn’t make the team today. He hadn’t scored in NSÍ’s last 5 games prior to today's game.