HB Tórshavn win their
20th Faroese championship

September 27, 2009: Round 26 of the Vodafone Division:

HB Tórshavn – KÍ Klaksvík 4-2 (3-0)
1-0 Hans á Lag
2-0 Andrew av Fløtum
3-0 Fróði Benjaminsen
4-0 Rógvi Poulsen
4-1 Hjalgrím Elttør
4-2 Hjalgrím Elttør (pen)

With a 4-2 win over KÍ Klaksvík, HB secured their 20th Faroese title in the penultimate round of the Vodafone Division. At the same time, KÍ were most likely relegated, although they still have a mathematical chance for avoiding it, but it’s a very unrealistic one.

HB meant business from the word go and Andrew av Fløtum tried with a powerful long range effort which Jákup Mikkelsen in the KÍ goal had to block for a corner. HB smelled blood and after the following corner the ball was crossed hard and flat across the goal where unmarked central defender Hans á Lag tapped in at the far post to send HB on championship course – and a fine birthday present for á Lag who turned 35 yesterday.

KÍ tried to respond immediately and Hjalgrím Elttør gave HB a scare with a shot that went close, but HB were soon in control again.

About a quarter of an hour through the match, HB nearly doubled their lead directly on a corner, but Jákup Mikkelsen just managed to push the ball on to the cross bar to deny HB.

But there was nothing Mikkelsen could do after 25 minutes when Dam’s low cross played Andrew av Fløtum clear for an easy finish to put HB 2-0 up.

KÍ could – and should – have pulled a goal back a while later when defender Atli Danielsen was completely clear in the goal area, but a below par finish and a super save from HB goalkeeper Símun Rógvi Hansen denied KÍ.

Instead it was HB who went 3-0 up shortly before half time with a cracking header into the top corner from Fróði Benjaminsen after a cross from the left.

Les than a minute had been played of the second half before HB had scored again. A quick free kick allowed Bjarni Jørgensen to get to the byline and make a low cross in front of goal where Rógvi Poulsen slid in to beat goalkeeper Mikkelsen.

But KÍ improved al lot in the second half – maybe they could play without fear now as their fate seemed settled, and maybe HB were not fully focused as they knew they had done their job. Around the hour mark Todi Jónsson, who had been on the bench during the first half, knew exactly how fall on hit bottom to get a free kick – it looked soft (the free kick, that is, not hit bottom!). Hjalgrím Elttør executed it to perfection with a superb shot into the near top corner.

A few minutes later, KÍ were reduced to 10 men when Kristoffur Jakobsen received his second yellow card, but that didn´t stop KÍ to pull another goal back with 10 minutes to go with a penalty from Elttør, after he had had been fouled himself – but it took a while until he chose to fall...

But KÍ were never going to score two more goals to deny HB the title and instead HB could have scored several goals in the closing stages. For example Bjarni Jørgensen hit the post.

KÍ’s chances for avoiding relegation for the first time in their history are now extremely slim. They trail B36 Tórshavn by 3 points going into the final round, but B36’s goal difference is 9 goals better.

EB/Streymur – ÍF Fuglafjørður 3-2 (2-2)
1-0 Arnbjørn Hansen
1-1 Rógvi Jacobsen
1-2 Alexandar Jovevic
2-2 Pauli G. Hansen
3-2 Hans Pauli Samuelsen

With a 3-2 win over ÍF, EB/Streymur will most likely hold on to the runners up position as they have a 3 point lead over Víkingur in 3rd place and a superior goal difference on 6 goals.

EB/Streymut took the lead through striker Arnbjørn Hansen a quarter of an hour through the match, but around the half-hour mark ÍF turned things around with two quick goals from Rógvi Jacobsen and Alexandar Jovevic. However, shortly before the half time whistle Pauli G. Hansen, who has just returned from injury, headed in an equalizer for EB/Streymur.

The match looked to be ending with a 2-2 draw, but in the dying moments Hans Pauli Samuelsen made one of his trade mark free kick count for EB/Streymur to snatch victory.

Víkingur – B36 Tórshavn 4-3 (2-0)
1-0 Finnur Justinussen
2-0 Sølvi Vatnhamar
3-0 Finnur Justinussen
4-0 Finnur Justinussen
4-1 Bergur Midjord
4-2 Oddmar Færø
4-3 Sjúrður Thomassen

Víkinur cruised to a 4-0 lead with 3 of the goals coming from Finnur Justinnussen who will now be difficult to catch on the top scorer list which he leads with 19 goals – 3 more than Arnbjørn Hansen from EB/Streymur.

But a quarter of an hour through the second half B36 made a real attempt of a dramatic fight back when Bergur Midjord pulled a goal back.

Shortly after the goal a brawl resulted in two red cards for Víkingur and one for B36.

With 10 against 11 B36 pulled another goal back by Oddmar Færø and another by Sjúrður Thomassen 5 minutes from time.

But time ran out and Víkingur just about held on to their 3 points and the third position in the table.

B68 Toftir – 07 Vestur 3-0
1-0 Óli Olsen (pen)
2-0 Nenad Stankovic
3-0 Jóhan Petur Olsen

B68 had it relatively easy against already relegated 07 Vestur.

Óli Olsen converted a penalty late in the first half to give B68 the lead. Nenad Stankovic and Jóhan Petur Olsen added two more in the first 25 minutes of the second half.

B68 stay in 4th position in the table which will earn them a place in the Europa League. But they only lead NSÍ Runavík by 1 point.

NSÍ Runavík – AB Argir 3-1 (3-1)
1-0 Karoly Potemkin
2-0 Bogi Løkin
2-1 Nikolai L. Eriksen
3-1 Bogi Løkin

NSÍ needed to win to have a chance to qualify for next season’s Europa League and that was not too dificult against an unmotivated AB team.

Midway through the first half Karoly Potemkin and Bogi Løkin gave NSÍ a two goal lead before Nikolai Eriksen pulled one back late in the half, but only to see Løkin restore the two-goal cushion just before the halftime whistle.

The second half remained goalles.

NSÍ will stay in 5th position in the tabla, one point adrift of B68 who at the moment owns the last European place.

The last round of the Vodafone Division will be played on Saturday 03 October