Almost 4.000 spectators had turned up, and there was thus a full house for FC Helsingør's home debut in the Alka Superliga. The queues were long, but optimism was high, and anticipation even greater. Unfortunately, anticipation is often the greatest of all, and the visitors from OB were not helping to create the good atmosphere. So in a match where FC Helsingør were well in it for long periods, it was OB who ended up pulling the longest straw.
The match started a little cautiously from both teams, but after a good start from Helsingør, including a big chance for André Riel, OB took more control of the game, and it was difficult for the Helsingør players to shut down the well-playing OB midfield. After 20 minutes OB had two big chances, as FCH found it more than usually difficult to play the ball out of their own area.
Rain had made its mark on the build-up to the match, where at times it had been pouring down over the old stands, and the otherwise fine pitch. Unfortunately, the wet surface also made its mark on the game after 23 minutes, when Andreas Holm slipped on the grass, and OB's Anders K. Jakobsen was played completely free in the box and confidently put the ball past a helpless Mikkel Bruhn.
0-1 OB
OB then retreated a little, and left more of the play to Helsingør. The FCH players put together several good sequences, but the few times they got a shot away, they unfortunately most often ended up in the gloves of OB's in-form goalkeeper, Sten Michael Grytebust. Just before half-time, "Malte" Johannsen came forward and had a huge chance, but Grytebust saved again, and thus the half ended with a narrow OB lead.
The second half started better for FCH, who had gained a little more control of the tactics. The Helsingør players got their pressing better organized against OB, and so it was something of a blow when OB scored again on the counterattack. A quick counter-knife was driven ice-cold through, and Anders K. Jakobsen put the ball in once more.
0-2 OB
For the rest of the half OB could sit relatively deep and act as wave breakers against an otherwise aggressive Helsingør press, and Helsingør only came really close in stoppage time, when "TK" sent a well-placed long shot narrowly over. But Helsingør once again showed that they could compete in a Superliga match, and there were applause for the effort after the match from the engaged home crowd, who took both the rain and the defeat in stride.
Head coach Christian Lønstrup also had both positive and negative things to take from the match:
– It was a difficult first half, where we don't get our pressing set up properly. We tried to correct that, but we were too passive. It's not because they come to the really big chances, but we end up standing too deep. We correct it a little, but then they score somewhat out of nothing. We then dictate the game at the start of the second half until they score again, and then it becomes difficult. I have to give the lads credit for not giving up, even when they go down 2-0. That can happen quickly, but they kept going today. I'm happy with that.
– And then I must say that it was a fantastic setting to play in. I usually don't notice the surroundings that much because I am so focused on the matches, but today I must give great praise to those who have helped build these things up.
Photo: Claus Birch.
