After a long international break, 1. Division started up again, and FC Helsingør had to try to take points away at Silkeborg. On paper, one of the toughest away grounds in the league. Silkeborg, on their side, were determined to get revenge for the defeat in the opening match at Helsingør Stadion.
But after an entertaining and exciting match, FC Helsingør could nevertheless take a point, after having gone behind three times and levelled three times.
Thus, it had not been more than three minutes before FC Helsingør had to retrieve the ball from the back of the net for the first time. Silkeborg worked the ball up through the middle, and after a quick one-two, Mark Brink got through centrally and played the ball out to the left, where Mads Kaalund was standing free at the far post. He calmly guided the ball into the goal with the inside of his foot, putting the home side ahead.
1-0 Silkeborg.
But less than two minutes later, FC Helsingør brought things level. Philip Rejnhold won a corner. Anders Holst sent it in centrally, where after a bit of ping-pong the ball ended up at the feet of Jonas Henriksen, who was standing with his back to goal on the edge of the box. In the best Brazilian style, “Jones” turned around with the ball, and in the same movement he neatly placed the ball into the opposite top corner. A rare and splendid goal by the right back.
1-1 FC Helsingør
That was followed by a period in which both teams were looking to get players in behind on the fast, rain-soaked artificial turf. But both teams’ defenses had settled in now, and although Silkeborg looked the most dangerous here in the first 25 minutes of the match, they had to settle for shots from distance, which FCH’s defense could block. FC Helsingør also had a few good moves, though. Jonas Henriksen had a good run down the right side, where he was close to finding Eli Just in a free position on the right side of the box, but Silkeborg got a saving foot in. And after 18 minutes Philip Rejnhold found Eli Just making a run in behind, where Just was centimeters from finding Sebastian Czajkowski on the opposite side in a completely free position, but the pass was just a bit too strong and went over the byline.
After 27 minutes FC Helsingør had a huge chance. Anders Holst got the ball centrally and played a controlled through ball to the surging Sebastian Czajkowski, who had spotted the gap in Silkeborg’s lines. Czajkowski got free on the right side of the box and shot first time, but his powerful effort was blocked by Oscar Hedvall in SIF’s goal.
Just as we passed the half-hour mark, Silkeborg then got a chance of enormous proportions. Emil Holten won a one-on-one duel against Hans Christian Bonnesen some fifteen meters from the box and broke through alone. Kevin Stuhr came out and tried to close him down, but Holten rounded him and seemed to have an empty goal. But just as the shot was taken, Nikolaj Hansen got back and blocked the shot at the last second. Heroic action by the captain.
The next few minutes Silkeborg applied heavy pressure and came closest on a free kick from the edge of the box, but Nikolaj Hansen got his head to it and sent the ball over the goal. And then FC Helsingør could ride out the storm a bit.
After 36 minutes Eli Just intercepted a pass from Silkeborg’s midfield and sent Jeppe Kjær away in behind. Jeppe rounded his opponent and drove into the box, but just as he was about to finish, Svenn Crone came in with a sliding tackle and blocked the shot.
But just before the break, Silkeborg got the counterattack they had been waiting for. After an FCH corner, the SIF players were quickest to the ball, and Nikolai Vallys got the ball centrally. He played a perfect through ball to Anders Klynge, who had made a run into position on the left side. Klynge took the ball into the box and calmly placed it past Kevin Stuhr and into the far corner.
2-1 Silkeborg
That was the last significant action of the half, and FCH had to go into the dressing room after a well-played half that had been played at a very high tempo. But unfortunately with the home side in front.
It was FC Helsingør who came out best from the dressing room, and in the first five minutes of the second half the Helsingør side put a decent press on the home team, without it leading to any major chances. Silkeborg had to settle for a single counterattack, which was, however, big enough for Kevin Stuhr to have to come out and block a dangerous shot from the right side.
After 54 minutes FCH got the first shot in the 2. half, when Sebastian Czajkowski cleverly dribbled the ball past his marker and carried it on a good run into the box. Here he shot from a tight angle, but the ball went both wide of Hedvall and the goal.
Shortly after, Jeppe Kjær almost found Czajkowski when he sent a good ball past his man and across to Czajkowski, but he just barely couldn’t reach the ball before Hedvall came out and cleared it away.
Chances kept coming and a minute later Klynge was close again, when he sent a long-range effort narrowly over the goal from the edge of the box. In the next sequence, Eli Just received the ball centrally from Jonas Henriksen and drove toward goal. From the edge of the box the New Zealander lashed at it, and Hedvall had to throw himself full length to save the shot.
It was Eli’s last action in the match, as he was replaced by Lucas Haren just over an hour into the game.
Six minutes later Haren was extremely close to an assist when he was sent through nicely on the run by Sebastian Czajkowski. Haren drove into the box but got a little too far toward the byline. From there he cut the ball back diagonally to Jeppe Kjær, who took a touch inside and fired from close range. But with almost no room on the line, a Silkeborg defender blocked the shot. Good action by Haren and Kjær.
But when the clock reached 70 minutes, it got even better for Haren and Kjær. Jonas Henriksen played a perfectly timed ball to Haren on the right side. Haren went to the byline and cut it back diagonally to Jeppe Kjær near the penalty spot, and this time Kjær struck first time. The ball bounced in off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal, with no chance for Hedvall.
2-2 FC Helsingør
On the sideline, Callum McCowatt and David Boysen had been standing and waiting, and could celebrate the goal before coming on for Czajkowski and Holst.
FC Helsingør had the upper hand toward the end of the match, and the Silkeborg players were clearly frustrated that things were not going their way. They tried to set up counterattacks, but FCH had dropped a little deeper on the pitch, so it was hard to find space.
Then a solo effort was needed, and unfortunately it came close to the final whistle. Substitute Sebastian Jørgensen got the ball centrally and turned on two FCH defenders. He drove toward goal, where Nikolaj Hansen tried to tackle, but Jørgensen lifted the ball over the advancing FCH defender and then could place it in at the near post.
3-2 Silkeborg IF
In the closing stages FC Helsingør pressed on, and in stoppage time they forced a corner. All the FCH players, including Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard, ran up into the Silkeborg box. Newly introduced Carl Lange went to the ball and sent a perfectly curled cross into the area. Oscar Hedvall had played a brilliant match and had just been named man of the match, but on the corner he did not come out well, and the ball slipped through his hands. Behind him stood Jeppe Kjær ready, and he got the slightest necessary touch on the ball, and it went in.
3-3 FC Helsingør
A minute and a half later the referee blew for full time, and FC Helsingør could add a hard-fought and very important point to the tally. The next assignment is Fremad Amager. It is at home in Helsingør, and already on Friday.
FCH: K. Stuhr Ellegaard, P. Rejnhold, N. Hansen, H.C. Bonnesen (’88 C. Lange) J. Henriksen, A. Holst (’71 D: Boysen), D. Norouzi, F. Juul Christensen, E. Just (61’ L. Haren), S. Czajkowski (71’ C. McCowatt) J. Kjær
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
