In Friday's match against AGF, it was the home side that took all three points in a game in which FC Helsingør was nonetheless very much involved. But AGF were a little sharper on the day, and FCH had to go home with a defeat from Aarhus.
The match started at a high tempo, and barely a minute and a half had been played before AGF got their first opportunity. Pierre Kanstrup sent a sneaky cross into the box, where Adrian Kappenberger came out and punched it away from the noses of two AGF players, after which TK could clear it out of the area. But a little too nonchalant from FCH in the opening minutes.
After nine minutes, when it was mostly AGF doing the pressing, FC Helsingør got its first big chance. Felipe Tontini broke up AGF's buildup just outside the box and found Nicolas Mortensen, who launched a counterattack. He played a perfect pass in front of two AGF defenders and found Douglas, who dribbled into the AGF box, but his finish unfortunately went just on the wrong side of the post. Big opportunity for FC Helsingør!
After 14 minutes, it came alarmingly close to FC Helsingør going behind. Tobias Sana got past on the left wing and laid the ball diagonally back into the box, finding a completely free Jens Stage right in front of goal, but in a curious way the young attacking player managed to kick the ball well wide of the goal in a situation where it was almost harder not to score!
After that, FCH actually got better into the game. A well-playing Felipe Tontini had several good actions, and Helsingør managed to press a little higher up the pitch and play themselves into several respectable crosses.
But it was AGF who got the next big chance. After 24 minutes the combination “Sana down the line, and across to Stage” was repeated, but again Stage did not reach the ball, which flew across the FCH box right in front of Adrian Kappenberger, but fortunately without finding an AGF player.
Two minutes later Kappenberger sent a long kick upfield, and Tontini brought it down and drove forward to the edge of the box, where he finished, but his well-struck shot went just over the goal.
Instead it was AGF who opened the scoring after 29 minutes. The home side got away on a counterattack and committed many men forward. Amini found Tobias Sana with a through ball, perfectly between the FCH defenders, and Sana slammed it in coolly on the run.
1-0 AGF
For the next ten minutes FCH pressed for the equalizer, and much of the play went through Tontini, but the AGF players defended intelligently and did not give away any major chances, although both Matheus and Adnan Mohammed had several good actions on the flanks.
Neither team created any truly big chances, and then referee Mads-Christoffer Christoffersen could blow for half-time with the home team holding a narrow lead.
AGF took the initiative from the start of the second half, and the home side forced two corner kicks in the first four minutes, though they never became truly dangerous. But FCH had enough to do defending during the first ten minutes of the second half.
After a little under an hour, it came close to the home side extending their lead. A cross from the left side was cleared by Basse, but straight to an AGF player, who shot past the post in an attempt to beat Adrian Kappenberger. The biggest chance of the half.
That gave AGF blood on the tooth, and already the minute after Amini cut in from the right side and played a through ball, but his fine pass to Stage was not rewarded. But FCH were under pressure in this phase.
But after 64 minutes, Felipe Tontini finally got reward for his efforts, when he set off on a run down the left side and coolly laid it back into the box to the just-substituted Anders Holst, who thundered the ball into the net beyond Jovanovic.
1-1 FC Helsingør
Now it was FC Helsingør pressing, and Douglas came close with two good header chances in the 70th and 71th minute. Especially chance number two, from a free kick by Matheus, deserved a better fate, but unfortunately the header went straight at Jovanovic in the AGF goal.
But AGF were lurking on counterattacks and set pieces, and after 75 minutes the home side took the lead. A corner was sent into the box, where Pusic was completely free at the back post and headed the ball powerfully in.
2-1 AGF
The next ten minutes offered a battle of attrition, with FCH trying to get away on counterattacks and AGF content to move the ball around and look for the chance that could close the game. But it was FCH who came close in the 88th minute, when Tontini found substitute Tobias on the edge. “Toby” cut inside and finished decisively, but his excellent dipping shot was read by AGF goalkeeper Jovanovic, who with the tips of his fingers tipped the shot past the goal. Big chance!
FCH were unable in the final minutes to apply the decisive blow, and so the home side could leave the pitch with a narrow but deserved 2-1 victory.
FC Helsingør: Kappenberger, S. Henriksen, Gregor, Jørgensen, Mohammad, Matheus, Køhler, Basse, Tontini, Douglas, Mortensen.
Substitutions: Bay, Holst, T. Christensen
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
