September 10 & 11, 2011: Round 20 of the Vodafone Division:
September 10
EB/Streymur - NSÍ Runavík 5-1 (4-1) 1-0 Leif Niclasen 2-0 Daniel Udsen (pen) 3-0 Pætur Dam Jacobsen 4-0 Gert Hansen 4-1 Árni Frederiksberg 5-1 Levi Hanssen
For EB/Streymur, forward Arnbjørn Hansen was on the bench for the whole match while NSÍ missed their forward Christian Høgni Jacobsen through suspension.
And it looked like it was EB/Streymur who were less hit by that as they took the lead after only 8 minutes when they took advantage of a bad NSÍ back-pass, and although goalkeeper Andras Gango saved Sorin Anghel’s initial effort, Leif Niclasen was there to put the rebound away.
It became much easier for the home team when the visitors had central defender Jens Joensen sent off for a second bookable offence with less that 10 minutes remaining of the first half. – This was the defender’s second red card this season. But his second card looked harsh, it must be said (1:17 in video).
A few moments later, with 5 minutes remaining, EB/Streymur were awarded a penalty which Daniel Udsen converted safely to make it 2-0. Again, that penalty looks soft (1:48 in video).
But those last 5 minutes before the break were crazy as there was enough time to three additional goals. Pætur Dam Jacobsen and Gert Hansen (cracking goal at 3:38) made it 3-0 and 4-0 before Árni Frederiksberg pulled one back for NSÍ.
In the second half, 44 year old bobble-hat goalkeeper Jens Martin Knudsen released injured Andras Gango in the NSÍ. Apart from one Champions League Match in 2008, Knudsen hasn't played serious football since he retired after the 2007 season.
If EB/Streymur felt sorry for the old guy or if they saved some of their power for Wednesday’s match against HB shall be unsaid, but Knudsen had a much more quiet game than Gango. However, Knudsen was beaten once; when Levi Hanssen made it 5-1 with a quarter of an hour remaining. - By the way, Knudsen was a bit lucky also as he twice was save by the crossbar.
There was little to report about from first 45 minutes which was very even and produced very few scoring opportunities. A few corners from both teams and a couple of long range efforts was about it. Neither goalkeeper was tested.
The second half followed a similar pattern. But after about 20 minutes HB had the best opportunity of the match when a long ball was knocked forward to Jón Krosslá Poulsen who got a shot in from close range, but B68 goalkeeper Tórður Thomsen blocked the shot out to a corner.
But that did not spur on more action on the pitch as the uneventful pattern of the previous 65 minutes continued right until B68 got a free kick after 75 minutes on the edge of the penalty area a bit to the left which was always going to be dangerous. Jann Ingi Petersen curled the ball – without much power – on the crossbar where it rebounded out to Niclas Joensen who headed B68 in the lead.
HB then finally put more effort in going forward which also yielded three or four decent opportunities, but at the same time B68 were lurking around with counterattacks.
In the dying minutes it looked like Fróði Benjaminsen had been brought down in B68’s penalty area, but instead of giving HB the penalty, the referee gave Benjaminsen the yellow card for playacting. The referee was so resolute with his card that he must have made the right decision. Referees should just do that more often as so many penalties are cheats. If referees blew 20% less, they would get it more right in 15% of the cases.
With the loss HB drop to 7th, 6 points above ÍF Fuglafjørður below the relegation-line, who have a game in hand. With only 5 points away fro home, HB is the worst performing away team of them all, but are the 4th best at home, but if that will be enough to do anything with highflying EB/Streymur is questionable. Should HB lose on Wednesday while ÍF Fuglafjørður beat rock bottom B71 Sandoy, the gap will be only 3 points. HB aren’t safe yet!
There wasn´t much difference between the two teams in the first half, but in the second half the visitors played like the bottom team they are.
B36 took the lead midway through the first half with a fine move that was started and finished by left back Símun Joenen who scored his 6th goal this season.
ÍF had a fine opportunity to equalize a few minutes later, but Dánjal av Lakjuni’s shot was blocked by Danish defender Jonas Flindt Rasmussen.
The same Rasmussen doubled B36’s lead a quarter into the second half with a header from a corner, and after that there was only one team on the pitch, and 10 minutes later Róladur Jacobsen made it 3-0 with a long range effort with the help of a deflection.
The only positive note for ÍF was that offensive player Andy Olsen came on in the second half after a long term injury. If they can get him in to shape before the last decisive matches of the season, he could become key for avoiding relegation.
07 Vestur looked to have taken a gigantic step away from relegation as they were leading 2-0 after 70 minutes. Brazilian Clayton Soares made it 1-0 on the hour-mark, and 10 minutes later Senegalese Badara Diedhiou doubled 07 Vestur’s advantage.
But KÍ had never been out of it and had had chances to make it both 1-1 and 1-2 before 07 Vestur had scored their second goal.
And KÍ still refused to lay down and with a quarter of an hour remaining Høgni Madsen pulled a goal back on a penalty.
And with 5 minutes remaining of normal time, Hjalgrím Elttør grabbed a valuable point directly on free kick.
Víkingur hardy had to sweat to get the 3 points against B71. Finnur Justinussen brought the visitors in front after 25 minutes with his 13th goal of the season which takes him joint-top with Klæmint Olsen on the top scorer list.
Shortly before halftime, Víkingur increased their lead with a penalty from Sam Jacobsen while B71 at the same time were reduced to 10 men as defender Bojan Zivic was given marching orders.
A quarter of an hour after the restart former B71 player made it 3-0 with a cracking long range effort before Páll Klettskarð made it 4-0 about five minutes later.
With 10 minutes remaining Bakari Bojang scored a consolation for B71 on penalty.