June 16, 2010: Round 12 of the Vodafone Division:

HB Tórshavn - AB Argir 1-1 (0-0)
1-0 Jógvan Andrias Skeel Nolsøe
1-1 Alex Mellemgaard

HB looked to have secured the 3 points in the 88th minute with a controversial quickly taken free kick, but after 9 minutes of added time, Alex Mellemgaard curled the ball into the near top corner from a free kick to salvage a point.

But HB can have no complaints after a lacklustre performance. There was no flow, no movement and no imagination. And maybe no plan either.

The first half was very even with very little action in front of the two goals. Maybe AB had a slight edge in the first 10 minutes before HB had a better period of 5-10 minutes, but overall there wasn’t much to choose between the sides.

Midway through the second half AB goalkeeper Heðin Stenberg was stretchered off, and as AB had no reserve goalkeeper (apparently Tórður Thomsen has quit, the word is), Ivorian midfielder Evrard Ble was put between the sticks. But HB never managed to really put Ble under real pressure. He did go wrong of a high cross, however, and HB were close to score, but the ball was saved off the line. Símun Samuelsen also tried to test Ble with a powerful low freekick, but the deputy goalkeeper dived and firmly put his body behind the ball and safely held on to it (are you reading this, Robert Green?).

AB then suddenly burst into life and had a couple of great opportunities to take the lead. First it was Kenneth Jacobsen who became clear on the right hand side inside the penalty area, but his finish lacked quality and Marcin Dawid in the HB goal blocked the shot or pass before the rebound was swept away just in front of a bunch of AB-legs ready to fire the ball into the back of the net.

A minute later Norwegian striker Stig-Roar Søbstad had a go from long range which forced Dawid into a diving save.

But with 2 minutes left of normal time, HB got a goal out of nothing. Evrard Ble in the AB goal, who was not under pressure, made a mistake when he handled the ball twice, and the referee awarded HB a free kick inside the penalty area. While the AB players were eagerly protesting to the referee, HB made short shrift and Fróði Benjaminsen played the ball to 18 year old Jógvan Andrias Skeel Nolsøe who had the easiest of tasks of scoring into an empty goal. - His first goal for HB’s senior team.

Those who remember Porto’s goal against Arsenal from an indirect free kick in the Champions League in February can imagine how it looked like. A couple of links from that situation: Wenger slams ref's decision to allow Porto winner and Arsene Wenger is unhappy with Porto's winning goal

But AB would still have the last laugh as they scored the equalizer 9 minutes into added time. A majority of those minutes had been added from the incident when AB’s goalkeeper had suffered his injury. HB made an unnecessary free kick just outside the penalty area and were punished severely when Alex Mellemgaard beautifully curled the ball into the near top corner where Marcin Dawid’s antics as a jumping jack were to no avail.

This sets up a cracking top clash on Saturday when HB visit NSÍ Runavík who lead the table on goal difference over HB.

Víkingur - NSÍ Runavík 2-3 (1-2)
0-1 Klæmint A. Olsen
1-1 Sølvi Vatnhamar
1-2 Christian Høgni Jacobsen
2-2 Owngoal
2-3 Christian Høgni Jacobsen

With their 8th win in succession, NSÍ have climbed from last position in the table to the top spot in only 6 weeks. That’s impressive stuff.

Klæmint Olsen put NSÍ ahead early on with his 6th goal of the season before Sølvi Vatnhamar equalized after 20 minutes, but Christian Høgni Jacobsen then reclaimed the lead for NSÍ with a shot from the edge of the penalty area 10 minutes before the break.

Víkingur though they would get a point when right back Jónhard Frederisberg was credited for an owngoal to make it 2-2 10 minutes from time.

But four minutes later, league top scorer Christian Høgni Jacobsen secured NSÍ the 3 points and the lead in the table with his second goal of the match and his 10th in the league.

FC Suðuroy - EB/Streymur 0-1 (0-1)
0-1 Egil á Bø

Also EB/Streymur are on a roll as they earned their 16th point out of a possible 18 in their last 6 matches with a 1-0 win over relegation threatened FC Suðuroy. Centre back Egil á Bø scored from a corner midway through the second half.

B36 Tórshavn - B71 Sandoy 1-1 (0-0)
0-1 Danilo Kovacevic
1-1 Heini í Skorini

B36 paid the cost for wasting a string of scoring opportunities in the first half where they had been in full control. B71 improved in the second half and managed to take the lead 25 minutes through the second half from the Serb Danilo Kovacevic who was set up by Símin Hansen who a quarter of an hour later was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Heini í Skorini equalized for B36 with 15 minutes left on the clock to rescues a point for B36 who haven´t won in 9 attempts now. B71 good run of form have taken them within 3 points of Víkingur in 5th spot.

ÍF Fuglafjørður - B68 Toftir 4-2 (2-0)
1-0 Karl Løkin
2-0 Nenad Saric
2-1 Remi Langgaard
3-1 Høgni Zachariasen
4-1 Nenad Saric
4-2 Jónleif Højgaard

ÍF bounced back to winning ways after two successive defeats in the league with a comprehensive victory over B68 who clearly don’t feel at home away! B68 away record is: played 6, lost 6, and a goal difference of 7 – 18.

Karl Løkin and Nenad Saric gave ÍF a 2-0lead at half time. Remi Langgaard pulled a goal back for B68 five minutes after the restart, but ÍF restored their two-goal cushion within five minutes thanks to Høgni Zachariasen. Nenad Saric then made it 4-1 before Jónleif Højgaard made it 4-2 with a quarter of an hour remaining.