FC Helsingør took a strong victory in Esbjerg, but had to work for it, after a first half in which the home side fought back in the duels and equalized an early FCH lead.
A balanced first half
But it was only one and a half minutes into the game before FC Helsingør had the first chance. Peter Buch Christiansen got the ball on the left side with his back to goal, took a neat touch and went past his marker and into the box by the byline. From there he laid it back into the area, where Oliver Kjærgaard was just marked enough that he could not get a proper shot away. Good play by Peter Buch.
But three minutes later Buch took matters into his own hands. Oliver Kjærgaard played a beautiful diagonal pass over EFB’s defense, and both Nicklas Mouritsen and Peter Buch suddenly had lots of space with runs toward goal. Peter Buch Christiansen brought the ball under control, cut into the box, and sent the ball toward the far post, where it hit the woodwork and went in. Brilliantly finished, just beyond Jeppe Højbjerg’s reach in the EFB goal.
0-1 FC Helsingør
In the seventh minute, Esbjerg came back into the match. A long pass found Elias Sørensen, who had timed his run perfectly. Sørensen used his speed to pull away from the FCH defense, and calmly waited for Kevin Stuhr to make his move. Kevin tried to come out and narrow the angles, but Sørensen went past the FCH keeper and slotted the ball home from a tight angle.
1-1 Esbjerg FB
The match was very lively from the start, and already a minute later FC Helsingør created a huge chance again. Liam Jordan played a superb through ball between friend and foe in the EFB box. It put Tonni Adamsen through on a run in behind, but from a tight angle Adamsen unfortunately hit the side netting.
That was followed by a period in which both teams looked to break on the counter, but where FCH had much of the possession and moved the ball well around their own ranks. After 18 minutes, Oliver Kjærgaard sent Liam Jordan through on the left side, and Jordan delivered a good cross into the six-yard box. Neither Tonni Adamsen nor Peter Buch could reach the ball, which was cleared for an uneventful corner.
Five minutes later Kjærgaard won a free kick on the left side. Mouritsen sent a cheeky free kick around EFB’s marking to Tonni Adamsen, who had anticipated it. Esbjerg had not, so Tonni could cut into the box and shoot from a tight angle, but unfortunately the ball went wide of both Højbjerg and the goal.
After half an hour of play, EFB’s Patrick Scmidt was sent down the right wing. He delivered a low cross into the box, where both FCH’s defense and EFB’s attack just missed the ball. The cross swerved toward goal and almost deceived Kevin Stuhr, who, however, got down well and tipped the ball away so it would not trickle into the net.
The next ten minutes saw the home side gain the upper hand. Esbjerg managed to break up FCH’s buildup and sent several good crosses and corners into the FCH box. However, the final sharpness was missing, and FCH managed to get a saving foot in, or get Kevin Stuhr out to claim the ball every time it really started to look dangerous.
Two minutes before the break, Peter Buch was sent through again on the left side, and he put in a good cross into the box, but again the Esbjerg defense was attentive, and Tonni Adamsen could not get a shot away. FC Helsingør had started the half best, but the home side had put together good pressure leading up to the break, so based on play and chances it was very fair that the teams went into halftime with one goal each on the board.
FCH dominance in the second half
FC Helsingør came out of the break better than the home side, and had the initiative for large parts of the second half. But it began with a big chance for Esbjerg. EFB won the ball centrally and sent it forward to Patrick Schmidt on the edge of the box. Schmidt unleashed a fierce strike toward the far post, but fortunately for FCH the ball went wide.
After four minutes of play FCH had the ball in the net again. Tonni Adamsen delivered a good cross into the box, where Frederik Bay rose highest. His powerful header was directed straight at Jeppe Højbjerg, but the EFB goalkeeper could not hold it, and Peter Buch converted the rebound. Unfortunately for FCH and Buch Christiansen, he had come from an offside position, and the goal was disallowed. Correctly, it seemed.
With 54 minutes on the clock, Liam Jordan had a big chance. Jordan beat the offside trap and broke through centrally onto a good pass from Mouritsen. Alone with Højbjerg, but with two defenders on his back, Liam put his shot straight at the EFB goalkeeper. Oliver Kjærgaard tried to follow up, but his shot went a good distance over the goal.
A minute later it was Tonni Adamsen who had a big opportunity. A cross into the box was not caught by Højbjerg, and the ball dropped into a larger cluster of players in the six-yard box. Adamsen got a foot to it, but could not generate enough power, and Højbjerg was able to smother the ball and claim it at the second attempt.
Just after the hour mark, Kasper Enghardt played a good ball out to Peter Buch Christiansen, who was free on the right side. Peter Buch delivered a cross to Liam Jordan in front of goal, but under pressure from an EFB defender Jordan sent the ball just over the goal. A big chance for the South African.
A little under five minutes later Philip Rejnhold won a free kick a few meters outside the box when he was clumsily brought down by Steve Simpson. Tonni Adamsen took the free kick and sent it past the wall, but Højbjerg got all the way out to the post and saved.
But in the 69th minute, FCH were rewarded for the control they had enjoyed for most of the second half. Liam Jordan got the ball at his feet and cut centrally into the box. There Mads Larsen stuck out a leg and tripped Jordan. The referee did not hesitate and pointed to the spot. Liam Jordan stepped up himself, and although Højbjerg dived the right way, Jordan’s shot was right by the post and the EFB goalkeeper could not keep the ball out.
1-2 FC Helsingør
FC Helsingør continued to have much of the play, and Esbjerg were most dangerous from set pieces. With ten minutes remaining in normal time, they sent a good one into the six-yard box. Kevin Stuhr came out and punched the ball away. It dropped to Bendix Bennetzen, who struck at it, but his shot went completely astray and harmlessly over the byline.
In the 83th minute Liam Jordan again escaped the offside trap all the way down by the halfway line. Jordan drove toward goal, with Tonni Adamsen to his right. But Jordan perhaps had too much time to think about his options on the way toward goal and when he reached the box he did not get his shot away in time, and Højbjerg and the EFB defense were able to close down the chance together.
Three minutes from time it was Tonni Adamsen’s turn to miss. Substitute Sebastian Czajkowski got the ball in the middle and drove it forward centrally with Liam on one side and Tonni on the other. Czajkowski laid the ball out to Tonni Adamsen, who entered the box on the right side. Adamsen sent the ball past Højbjerg with a good shot, but on the line a saving Esbjerg foot intervened, and the ball went over the goal.
Just as the clock ticked past 90 minutes, Esbjerg suddenly had a big counterattacking chance. Mads Larsen got past his marker and FCH’s defense was caught high up the pitch. Only Kasper Enghardt was left with two EFB players, but Mads Larsen overdid it and shot himself, and Enghardt got down brilliantly and blocked the shot.
Last week, 16-year-old Alexander Lyng became the youngest player in FCH’s history, and today he was to drive the final nail into Esbjerg’s coffin. Lyng and Daniel Norouzi were brought on in stoppage time, and a minute from time Sebastian Czajkowski won the ball in midfield and broke away past Esbjerg’s defense, with Lyng to his left. When the two reached the box, Czajkowski was calm and gently squared the ball to Lyng, who only had to make contact to become the youngest goal scorer in FCH’s history. Delightfully unselfish by Czajkowski, who did the hard work for the goal.
1-3 FC Helsingør
And when the referee blew the final whistle shortly after, FCH could celebrate their second win in as many matches. The next task is Horsens away, and that is already on Friday.
FCH: K. Stuhr Ellegaard, N. Hansen, K. Enghardt, P. Rejnhold, N. Mouritsen, O. Kjærgaard, F. Juul Christensen, F. Bay (’74 D. Wilkins), P. Buch Christiansen (’70 S. Czajkowski), L. Jordan (’90 A. Lyng), T. Adamsen (’90 D. Noruzi)
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
