June 11 & 13, 2011: Round 11 of the Vodafone Division:
June 11
HB Tórshavn - B68 Toftir 3-3 (2-0) 1-0 Andrew av Fløtum 2-0 Fróði Benjaminsen 2-1 Ndende Adama Gueye 2-2 Emil Simonsen 3-2 Rógvi Poulsen 3-3 André Olsen (pen)
Although HB led both 2-0 and 3-2, B68 still managed to salvage a point as they turned up the tempo in the second half, while HB continued to play in vacation-mode.
The very few spectators who had attended the match witnessed a first half that looked very much like a friendly game with few attempts on both goals. Saturdays usually don’t bring many spectators to Gundadalur Stadium, and when the sun is shining like today, those few spectators are halved. And when HB struggle, as they have done this year, that half is once more halved which leaves only a handful hardcore spectators.
Little had happened before HB took the lead after 20 minutes. B68 failed to clear from a corner and the ball fell to Andrew av Fløtum who bombarded it into the back of the net from just outside the goal area.
B68 were close with an immediate equalizer when Ndende Adama Gueye was on the end of a long high ball into the penalty area, but the effort went high and wide.
B68 managed to sustain some pressure on HB for about 10 minutes , but the attempts on goal were from long distance and didn’t really threaten HB goalkeeper Heðin Stenberg although he looked a bit shaken when he palmed an effort from long distance over the crossbar.
But a couple of minutes before half time Fróði Benjaminsen dribbled into the penalty area at the other end to rifle past Tórður Thomsen in the B68 goal to give HB a 2-0 lead at halftime.
But only 45 seconds had elapsed of the second half when B68 had pulled a goal back with an Ndende header.
While HB continued to play in vacation-mode, B68 had taken on the working clothes and most of the play was going on on the HB-half.
Although B68 didn’t create clear-cut chances, it looked as it was only a question of time until they would create one or the HB defence would make a mistake. But before that, HB were close to closing the match when left back Hendrik Rubseksen was played clear in the penalty area, but Thomsen was quick out of his goal to block the shot.
With 12 minutes left of normal time B68 did get that goal they were looking for after a long throw in where Eli Simonsen was on the end of it to make it 2-2.
B68 continued to press forward, but HB were just centimetres from scoring again when Fróði Benjaminsen’s effort went just wide of the post.
In the 83rd minute it looked like Veni, Vidi, Vici for Rógvi Poulsen who put HB back in front 15 minutes after coming on for his first appearance after getting injured in the first league game of the season.
But B68 refused to lie down and got a freekick on the edge of the penalty area. The freekick didn´t appear to cause HB keeper Stenberg any problems, but somehow he fumbled the ball and in the mayhem that followed the referee spotted an infringement and awarded B68 a penalty. HB protested angrily, but to no avail, of course.
Although Stenberg got a hand on the ball, he couldn’t stop the penalty from André Olsen from going in to – in the end - salvage a well deserved point for B68.
Table toppers B36 looked to have done their job with John Hansen’s long distance goal after 20 minutes, but central defender Bartal Eliasen grabbed an equalizer deep into added time.
B36’s frustrations were evident when defender Odmar Færø was sent off after the final whistle.
NSÍ Runavík - EB/Streymur 2-2 (0-0) 1-0 Klæmint Olsen 1-1 Hans Pauli Samuelsen 1-2 Alex dos Santos 2-2 Klæmint Olsen
With a 2-2 draw, NSÍ and EB/Streymur failed to cut the gap on leaders B36 who only managed a draw earlier today.
NSÍ took the lead six minutes through the second half when EB/Streymur’s off side trap was beaten and Klæmint Olsen rounded EB/Streymur goalkeeper René Tórgarð to score from n acute angle.
Ten minutes later EB/Streymur were awarded a penalty when striker Arnbjørn Hansen went down, but Hansen, who took the penalty himself, missed from the spot.
But EB/Streymur didn´t have to wait long for the equalizer as Hans Pauli Samuelsen made it 1-1 midway through the half. And only 5 minutes later Alex dos Santos brought EB/Streymur in front with a fine shot into the far side of the goal.
However, EB/Streymur didn´t hold on to their lead for long as Klæmint Olsen scored his second goal of the afternoon 7 minutes later to make the final result 2-2.
KÍ Klaksvík - 07 Vestur 1-2 (0-0) 0-1 Jovan Radinovic-Panic 1-1 Henry Heinesen 1-2 Tór-Ingar Akselsen
With Jóhan Nielsen as new coach 07 Vestur climbed above the relegation line with a 2-1 win away to KÍ Klaksvík.
After a goalless first half Jovan Panic gave the visitors the lead before Henry Heinesen restored parity. But 07 Vestur captain Tór-Ingar Akselsen struck with 8 minutes remaining to secure the crucial win.
June 13 Víkingur - B71 Sandoy 3-2 (2-0) 1-0 Finnur Justinussen 2-0 Finnur Justinussen 3-0 Sølvi Vatnhamar 3-1 Thomas Hans Rubeksen (pen) 3-2 Bojan Zivic
Víkingur romped to a 2-0 lead after 17 minutes with both goals coming from forward Finnur Justinussen.
And when Sølvi Vatnhamar made it 3-0 immediately after the break, it looked like the typical rout of B71.
But with two goals in five minutes midway through the second half, B71 set up an unlikely grand stand finish. Tummas Hans Rubeksen had pulled one back from the penalty spot before Bojan Zivich headed home from a corner.
In a last gasp attempt for an equalizer B71 goalkeeper Símun Rógvi Hansen came forward for a corner, and it was also him who got a header in, but it lacked power to really trouble his colleague Geza Turi in the Víkingur goal.
Sølvi Vatnhamar then had an attempt at the empty goal at the other end, but he was off target.
With the win Víkingur has cut the lead to table toppers B36 to only two points. B71 stay rooted to the bottom with only 3 points; 8 points below the relegation line.
B71 have strengthen their team with an African player who however will not be eligible to play before the second half of the season when the transfer window has opened, and there are talks about strengthening the team with even more players. But it looks like ill-spent money, as there really is no hope for B71. Maybe Lionel Messi could turn it around, but that's about their only option. But the rumour is that Messi has actually turned down B71's offer...