October 22: Round 27 of the Vodafone Division:

B36 Tórshavn - HB Tórshavn 3-2 (0-1)
0-1 Fróði Benjaminsen (pen)
0-2 Fróði Benjaminsen (pen)
1-2 Lukasz Cieslewicz
2-2 Heini í Skorini
3-2 Lukasz Cieslewicz

For the most, HB was the better team during the first 45 minutes, and they had the most finishes, but without really testing Meinhardt Joensen in the B36 goal. And HB needed help from the referee before they got the goal in the 39th minute, when he awarded them a very cheap looking penalty which Fróði Benjaminsen converted safely.

B36 were close with a Súni Olsen free kick, but Teitur Gestsson in the HB goal reacted quickly to divert the ball around the post.

Six minutes through the second half HB doubled their advantage with yet another penalty from Benjaminsen. This time the referee had made the correct decision as Danish defender Jonas Flindt Rasmussen had stuck a leg out which brought down Símun Samuelsen when he entered the penalty area with speed.

But B36 pulled a goal back just three minutes later when Polish striker Lukasz Cieslewicz rifled past Gestsson from within the penalty area and B36 now looked like a different team than the one from the first half where their sluggish approach had now been substituted with determination, and as they poured on the pressure, an equalizer looked imminent.

It came in the 63rd minute when substitute Heini í Skorini slid into the penalty area to steer in a low cross from the right.

HB now looked tired and maybe lacked the will also as they helplessly looked on while they were outplayed, and it seemed like a question of time only until B36 would take the lead. That time arrived with 13 minutes remaining when Cieslewicz showed great skills when he took down a cross with his chest inside the penalty area, turned and fired the ball into the back of the net out of reach of the goalkeeper.

With the three points, B36’s total tally reached 67 which is the highest number any team has ever reached. NSÍ held the previous record with 58 points in 2007. In 2005 the league was extended from 18 to 27 matches. Then it’s up to people to debate whether the reason for the record is because B36 is so strong this season or if it’s because there have been so many bottom teams. Throughout the most of the season, 6 teams have been in danger of relegation.

HB’s final 8th place is one of their worst results ever and stands in stark contrast to the previous two seasons when they won back to back titles. But it was quite clear from before the league started that HB did not have championship material this season. Important players from last season had gone and one major reason for HB’s success in the last couple of years was Fróði Benjaminsen who played almost out of this world. It was unlikely that he could keep such a high level for a third straight season and with even less support from his team-mates this year, he hasn’t been quite as influential. And then there were all the small margins that went HB’s way last season. This season has been quite the opposite and most margins have gone against.

But in all the misery, the bright spot is that HB have given the chance to many of their home-grown youth players. But they will have to strengthen the team with two or three quality players to make sure that they don’t get relegated next season. If they play with the same team that has played in recent weeks, HB will struggle in the relegation zone again next season.

B68 - EB/Streymur 3-2 (0-2)
0-1 Leif Niclasen
0-2 Pætur Dam Jacobsen
1-2 Kristian Anton Andreasen (pen)
2-2 Ndende Adama Guéye
3-2 Jónleif Højgaard

EB/Streymur took a first minute lead through Leif Niclasen who scored his 11th goal of the season. The forward played as left back a couple of years ago and was also selected for the national team in that position under Jógvan Martin Olsen, but now he has returned to his original position and has really made a break-through in the top division this season.

EB/Streymur looked to be on course for victory when Pætur Dam Jacobsen netted midway through the first half to make it 2-0 to the visitors.

But B68 weren’t done yet.

First André Olsen missed a penalty for B68 in the first half before they pulled a goal back on another penalty through Kristian Anton Andreassen midway through the second half. And a couple of minutes later it was all square as Senegalese Ndende headed home from a free kick.

And with 15 minutes remaining, Jónleif Højgaard completed the turnaround with the winning goal.

EB/Streymur’s vulnerable point this season has mainly been their away form where they have lost nearly half of their matches. This was EB/Streymur’s 5th runners-up position since 2006, coupled with their title in 2008. But they did triumph in the cup this year with a 3-0 win over ÍF Fuglafjørður.

B68 ended the season in 6th spot. Nine home-grown players were in B68’s starting line up today, and many of them youngsters, so B68’s future looks quite promising.

KÍ Klaksvík - Víkingur 1-4 (1-1)
0-1 Finnur Justinussen
1-1 Oddmar á Lakjuni
1-2 Erling Jacobsen
1-3 Sam Jacobsen (pen)
1-4 Símin Hansen

Finnur Justinussen headed home a trademark goal from a free kick after 19 minutes to take his goal-tally to 21 and claim his second golden boot of his career. The 22 year old forward also won it in 2009.

However, KÍ restored parity within five minutes with a header from Oddmar á Lakjuni from a corner.

The visitors restored their lead a few minutes after the break with yet another headed goal; this time from central defender Erling Jacobsen from a corner.

Five minutes later KÍ were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Høgni Madsen was sent off after his second bookable offence.

It made it easier for Víkingur who scored twice in the last quarter of an hour; first through Sam Jacobsen’s penalty and then through Símin Hansen.

Víkingur end the season in bronze medal position after having been second for a large part of the season, but faltering somewhat in the last third of the season. Overall, Víkingur didn´t quite have the necessary qualities to go all the way.

KÍ will be very pleased with their 5th place as a newly promoted. Their goal for the season was just to avoid relegation. For the most they kept a reasonably healthy margin to the relegation places, but were in danger in periods, however. KÍ have a very young team with mostly homemade players and it will be very exciting to see how much they can improve next season.

B71 Sandoy - NSÍ Runavík 1-3 (1-1)
0-1 Ari Ó. Ellingsgaard
1-1 Bakari Bojang
1-2 Mamuka Toronjadze
1-3 Klæmint A. Olsen (pen)

B71 quickly found an equalizer through Bakari Bojang after NSÍ had taken the lead after 20 minutes thanks to Ari Ellingsgaard.

B71 went ahead again with 15 minutes remaining when Georgian Mamuka Toronjadze nettet after two attempts. Eight minutes later Klæmint Olsen scored from the penalty spot to secure himself the second position in the top scorer list, 3 goals adrift of top scorer Finnur Justinussen of Víkingur. Olsen should have narrowed that gap to two goals only, but he missed from the penalty spot 5 minutes later as B71 stand-in goalkeeper Gerhard Lognberg saved.

NSÍ struggled to find motivation for a long period of the second half of the season as they pretty early got isolated between the top three and the bottom six. With the material they had. they should have collected more points, but maybe they didn’t really have the quality to compete with the top 3 on a consistent basis. As it turned out, they will be reasonable content with their fourth position which gives access to the Europa Legaue next summer. The highlight of their season was probably the 0-0 draw with Fulham in the Europa League in the summer.

B71 were always going to struggle and there is little more to add to it. They got isolated at the bottom early on in the season and never looked capable of escaping relegation. It will be exciting to see if they can challenge 07 Vestur and AB Argir for the promotion spot in next season’s 1st division.

B71 point harvest of only 11 points is the lowest of any team since the league was extended to 27 matches in 2005. However, they share that dubious honour with VB/Sumba who also reached 11 points in 2007, but whereas VB/Sumba’s goal difference was minus 44, B71’s is minus 55.

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Let’s wrap up the season with some penalty statistics:

49 penalties were converted this season while 17 were missed.

That's a missing percentage of 25,75%.

That's an improvement actually compared to recent seasons where the missing percentage has often been in the thirties.

Well, the season isn’t quite wrapped up yet as the different player awards will be handed on Sunday 23 October. We’ll have a report from it as soon as possible; not later than Tuesday evening.

ÍF Fuglafjørður - 07 Vestur 1-2 (0-0)
0-1 Clayton Soares
0-2 Dánjal Rói Olsen
1-2 Nenad Saric

After 1st half’s turmoil, Brazilian forward Clayton Soares finally broke the deadlock just before the hour-mark with a header from a corner.

Dánjal Rói Olsen doubled the visitors’ advantage 20 minutes later before Serbian Nenad Saric scored a late consolation for ÍF.

Together with B71 Sandoy and KÍ Klaksvík, 07 Vestur were always the pre-hand "favourites" for relegation, but midway through the season they had a fine period where it looked like they might steer through after all, but with only one win since round 15 – and that was today – the writing was on the wall for 07 Vestur. And still they are only 2 points adrift of last season’s champions HB. A win for 07 Vestur last time against B68, where they lost 1-0, would have made it for them. Or if they beat HB in round 24. That's how close HB actually were to relegation.

Having ended in 4th place last season, ÍF had hoped for a similar result this year, but for most of the season ÍF have been fighting in the relegation zone and only managed to steer clear towards the end of the season. For that they will be please after all.