June 18, 2006, UEFA Intertoto Cup, first round, first leg:

Rasmus Nolsøe's free-kick earns HB Tórshavn an away-draw in the InterToto Cup

FC Dinaburg (Lat) – HB Tórshavn 1-1 (1-0)
1-0 Vadim Login 13'
1-1 Rasmus Nolsøe 59'

HB earned a very valuable point in today's Intertoto Cup-match in Latvia against FC Dinaurg.

Dinaburg took the lead within the first quarter of an hour after a corner, but midway into the second half, Rasmus Nolsøe equalized directly from a free-kick from 25-30 meters.

In the past, HB's often very poor results away from home have been one of the main obstacles for progressing in the various European Cups, but with the draw in Latvia and with an away-goal in the bag, HB now have a very realistic chance of progressing to the second round.

HB and FC Dinaburg play the return leg in Tórsvøllur Stadion in the Faroe Islands on Saturday, June 24.

The aggregate winners will meet Hibernians from Scotland in the second round.

June 24, 2006, UEFA Intertoto Cup, first round, second leg:

Owngoal Spoils HB's Intertoto Dream

HB Tórshavn - F.C. Dinaburg 0-1 (0-0)
0-1 Vagnur Mohr Mortensen (o.g.) 53'

After HB had done the hard work in getting a 1-1 draw against F.C. Dinaburg in last Sunday's away match in Latvia, hopes were high that HB would progress to the second round of the UEFA Intertoto Cup, but a second half owngoal cost HB the all-important 0-0 draw, which would have sent HB through.

From the start of the match, HB were very cautious in moving forward and were rare guests on Dinaburg's half, but although Dinaburg had the majority of the possession in the first half, they weren't creating scoring opportunities.

However, midway into the first half, Dinaburg nearly took the lead, but their free-kick hit the upright.

In the time added on in the first half, HB were just a whisker from taking the lead. Páll Mohr Joensen first got past a defender and then chipped the ball over the goalkeeper's legs, but unfortunately, the ball hit the far post and out. – Oh, so close to being the goal that would take HB through the second round…

But 8 minutes into the second half, disaster struck:

Dinaburg made a long diagonal cross from the left into HB's penalty area. Tór-Ingar Akselsen was unlucky and slipped just as he should challenge the Dinaburg-player who headed the ball back across HB's goal where Vagnur Mohr Mortensen unfortunately headed the ball into the top corner of his own goal, when he tried to head the ball out of danger.

HB then tried to put some pressure on Dinaburg, but although HB had more possession now, they didn't create a single scoring opportunity.

As HB pushed more forward, HB's defence was left thin at times and nearly cost a goal late in the game, but the Dinaburg player's shot went well over the goal, from close range, after he had done all the hard work by feinting past two HB-defenders.

This was a team HB shouldn't have lost to , as this probably is the weakest team that has vivited the Faroe Islands in a European Cup game (maybe the team HB beat 3-0 in 2004, FC WIT from Georgia, was as weak, but they won 5-0 at home!).

But as HB created even less than the Latvian side today, it can't be said it was an undeserved victory for them, although it came from an owngoal.

Dinaburg go through to meet Hibernian from Scotland and HB will rue the miss of their best opportunity to go through to the next round of a European cup competition since their famous tie against RAF Jelgava, also from Latvia, in 1993. HB then lost 1-0 in Latvia, but as the Latvian team never shoved up in the Faroes for the return leg, UEFA decided that Jelgava should lose the match 3-0, and thus HB progressed to the next round.

Share this page:

What’s this?