FC Helsingør were today looking to put a stop to the poor results of the past few weeks with three defeats in a row, as they hosted Sønderjyske at home today, who were six points ahead in the table before the match.
The last time the two teams met earlier in the season, FC Helsingør recorded a convincing 4-0 victory, but it would not end quite as high-scoring today. But a winner was found.
From the start of the match, the teams needed to size each other up a little, and although FC Helsingør had most of the ball, the home team also struggled to turn it into actual attempts on goal. That is why Sønderjyske had the game's first big chance after 12 minutes of play, but Frederik Helstrup managed to deflect the shot for a corner. There would end up being many of those at both ends.
A few minutes later it was FC Helsingør who played their way to a good chance. From one of his well-known overlaps, Nicklas Mouritsen sent a ball into the box straight to Callum McCowatt's forehead, and although he got well up to the ball, he unfortunately headed it over the goal.
In general, it was actually an FC Helsingør side that was not afraid to control the match. That was again shown by Callum McCowatt, as he fooled a handful of Sønderjyske players in the box with a shot feint. However, he was stopped by a solid sliding tackle before he managed to shoot at goal.
In the 26th minute it was almost going wrong for FC Helsingør. After a fine move on the right side of the Helsingør box, a winger from Sønderjylland wriggled free of Nicklas Mouritsen and set course for goal. He felt, however, that he had been pushed in the back and threw himself down to have a penalty awarded, but today's referee waved play on. More is needed at this level.
After 32 minutes of play, the match should have been 1-0 to the home team. Once again FC Helsingør were dangerous from a corner, and an entirely unmarked Geertsen headed the ball hard toward goal. The header was however saved on the line.
After that the match swung back and forth, but neither team really played themselves into the very big chances. That would only have been after 43 minutes, when FC Helsingør again had a good attempt after a corner, but again the ball was overhit. This time from Frederik Helstrup's forehead.
And the teams did not get any closer in the first half. They therefore went into the break with the score at 0-0.
It was also a tactically shaped start to the second half, where the teams once again sized each other up. But after a little more than 10 minutes, the goals finally came and even for FC Helsingør, as a hard cross from Oliver Klitten found Liam Jordan, who in acrobatic fashion lifted the ball up into the air and finished in fine style. A technically very fine goal.
The referee had barely blown the match back into action before Sønderjyske were close to equalizing, but the shot never really became dangerous.
A few minutes later FC Helsingør could have put the match to bed. With a precise cross from Nicklas Mouritsen, Alexander Lyng got a touch on the ball, but also sent it just wide of the post. Ouch, that would have been a lovely goal.
Very shortly after, Sønderjyske got their big chance to make it 1-1, but the crossbar saved FC Helsingør. Afterwards the away team had several good attempts that did not lead to a goal.
after 74 minutes came the most notable substitution of the match, as the assistant referee simply suffered a hamstring injury. He therefore switched places with the fourth official in a sequence that took five minutes. This gave the teams a good opportunity to adjust their tactics for the final 15 minutes of the match.
Sønderjyske therefore began the final period with a solid press on FC Helsingør and had several good shots. But they did not score before the 90 minutes were up.
After 92 minutes FC Helsingør finally had a chance to respond. It happened through an individual effort from Oliver Drost, who almost carried the ball from one penalty area to the other and outran everyone. At the moment of the shot, however, he took a hard shoulder barge, and therefore the effort went into the side netting.
With nine minutes of stoppage time there was suspense until the very end, and FC Helsingør were good at making the extra minutes long and tense. But when more than 100 minutes had passed, the referee finally put the whistle in his mouth for the last time.
The match ended 1-0 to FC Helsingør.
While all rivals have stumbled in this final round, FC Helsingør with the win are now only three points behind Sønderjyske in fourth place.
