September 23 & 25: Round 23 of the Vodafone Division:

September 23

Víkingur - 07 Vestur 5-1 (2-0)
1-0 Kaj Leo í Bartalsstovu
2-0 Sam Jacobsen (pen)
3-0 Páll Klettskarð
4-0 Sam Jacobsen
5-0 Sam Jacobsen (pen)
5-1 Joseph Bassene

07 Vestur have done plenty of damage to Víkingur this season, taking four points off them which ultimately means that Víkingur are out of the title race even if they provisionally closed the gap to three points, but today 07 Vestur were no match for Víkingur.

Víkingur took a 2-0 lead at halftime with goals in quick succession midway through the first half with a long range effort from Kaj Leo í Bartalsstovu and a penalty from Sam Jacobsen.

Forward Páll Klettskarð netted just after the hour-mark before midfielder Sam Jacobsen scored a brace to complete his hat trick – the second on yet another penalty.

07 Vestur scored a consolation goal through Senegalese Joseph Y. Bassene with 10 minutes remaining.

September 25

ÍF Fuglafjørður - HB Tórshavn 7-1 (3-0)
1-0 Dánjal á Lakjuni
2-0 Nenad Saric
3-0 Christian Chinedu Muomaife
3-1 Hallur Hansson
4-1 Christian Chinedu Muomaife
5-1 Bartal Eliasen (pen)
6-1 Christian Chinedu Muomaife
7-1 Andy Olsen

ÍF made a perfect start to the game, scoring the opener within two minutes. Dánjal á Lakjuni’s initial header was blocked by a defender, but from the rebound á Lakjuni rifled low past HB goalkeeper Teitur Gestsson.

ÍF continued the dominance for a while, but eventually HB worked their way back into the game. But it lasted very shortly as ÍF doubled their lead midway through the first half after a blunder from left back Hendrik Rubeksen who was careless to lose the ball to always energetic á Lakjuni, and as Fróði Benjaminsen just passively looked on, á Lakjuni squared the ball to a clear Nenad Saric for a simple finish.

Alexandar Jovevic was close for 3-0 awhile later when he rattled the crossbar and Bogi Løkin's effort from the rebound was blocked by desperate defending on the line.

HB found it very difficult to creating anything upfront and never tested Jákup Mikkelsen in the ÍF goal throughout the first 45 minutes.

But ÍF on the other hand had just been warming up so far, and 10 minutes before half time Nigerian Chris Muomaife took advantage when the HB goalkeeper and defender Vagnur Mohr Mortensen made a meal of a long high ball, which allowed the Nigerian striker to get between and score into the empty goal.

HB started brightly in the second half and got a glimmer of hope after five minutes when Hallur Hansson reduced the deficit with a header after using his arm to shrug off the defender.

But that glimmer of hope was short-lived as goal-scorer Hansson made a defensive blunder the very next minute when he gave the ball away to forward Muomaife to score his second goal of the afternoon to make it 4-1.

Rarely has a HB-team looked as dejected as HB did for the remaining 40 minutes.

In the 58th minute Bartal Eliasen made it 5-1 from the penalty spot after á Lakjuni, who made the most of it, had gone down in the penalty area.

In the 65th minute Moumaife showed off his dribbling skills as he went past 3 defenders to get clear with the goalkeeper and make it 6-1.

After a rare opportunity for HB shortly before the final whistle, ÍF countered through Karl Løkin who left the ball to Andy Olsen, who has just recently returned after a lengthy injury, and with a smart dribble he got clear of his defender to fire past Gestsson in the HB goal for the 7th time this match and inflict HB one of their worst defeats ever.

Only two points now separate HB from 07 Vestur in the relegation spot. These two meet in Tórshavn next Sunday in a gigantic relegation-battle. A win for HB should make HB safe as 07 Vestur should not be able to get six points in the remaining three matches against B36 (H), B68 (H) and ÍF (A). But a win for 07 Vestur, or even an draw, could easily mean relegation for HB, current champions and the most winning team in the Faroe Islands with 21 league titles to their name, six of them since 2002.

B36 Tórshavn - EB/Streymur 1-2 (0-2)
0-1 Gert Hansen
0-2 Gert Hansen
1-2 Jákup á Borg

EB/Streymur took the lead within five minutes when right back Gert Hansen’s cross was allowed to travel all the way into the goal.

Klæmint Matras was close with the equalizer a while later, but the visitors were save by the crossbar.

Matras hit the woodwork again after 25 minutes, this time on the inside of the post as he missed from the penalty spot.

Second after the missed penalty, EB/Streynmur should have doubled their lead when Levi Hanssen was played clear, but Hansson squandered the glorious opportunity.

But 10 minutes later EB/Streymur did double the lead as fullback Gert Hansen was at it again when he finished a well worked counterattack.

However, B36 were back in the game just a few minutes through the second half with a fine shot from Jákup á Borg.

But although B36 had majority of possession, EB/Streymur’s defence stood firm except from a couple of incidents where in one case an EB/Streymur played saved on the line.

Towards the end of the match Arnbjørn Hansen should have made it 3-1 for EB/Streymur as he was clear with the goalkeeper, but his finish was wide of the post.

In stoppage time B36 left back Símun Joensen was give the red card for a second bookable offence.

Despite the defeat, B36 are still odds on favourites for the title as they only need to win their remaining last 4 matches to secure the title. They start at home against lowly B71 Sandoy where B36 can not not win! They then visit relegation threatened 07 Vestur who shouldn’t be able to stop B36, although they have provided stiff opposition to B36 in their previous encounters. The penultimate test is away to NSÍ Runavík who should maybe have beaten B36 in both of their previous meetings, instead of losing, but at the moment NSÍ don’t look capable – or rather willing – to get points as they seem to have gone hibernating which have resulted in only 10 points from their last 11 matches.

And in the final match of the season B36 take on neighbours HB, which should be a piece of cake for B36. – Or is that the day when HB will finally get their act together…?

If B36 draw one match, EB/Streymur will need to get 13 points out of their last 5 matches, and one of those include Víkingur at home.

B71 Sandoy - B68 Toftir 0-3 (0-2)
0-1 Jónleif Højgaard
0-2 Ahmed Keita
0-3 Bjarki Johannesen

Although B71 still have a mathematical chance of avoiding relegation, it’s questionable if it’s even theoretical possible, however. On the other hand, B68 are as good as safe after a comfortable 3-0 win.

Having hit the woodwork twice, B68 made one count after 17 minutes through Jónleif Højgaard before Ahmed Keita doubled the lead with a scissors kick 10 minutes before half time. Bjarki Johannesen made it 3-0 with a quarter of an hour remaining.

KÍ Klaksvík - NSÍ Runavík 5-1 (3-1)
1-0 Bárður Heinesen
2-0 Kristoffur Jacobsen
3-0 Kristoffur Jacobsen
3-1 Einar Hansen
4-1 Álvur Christiansen
5-1 Álvur Christiansen

KÍ got three vital points against an NSÍ team that long ago seems to have gone hibernating.

KÍ took the lead shortly before the half hour through Bárður Heinesen before Kristoffur Jacobsen netted twice to make it 3-0 before Einar Hansen pulled a goal back directly on free kick just before the break.

But NSÍ never threatened with a comeback, and in the latter stages Álvur Christiansen scored twice in quick succession to make it 5-1 to KÍ.

KÍ aren’t quite safe yet though, because if 07 Vestur beat HB on Sunday and KÍ lose against B68, then only 2 points will separate KÍ from HB who then will be in a relegation spot. KÍ visit HB in the penultimate round of the league.