The match started somewhat chaotically on the not particularly good pitch. The first five minutes were mostly a battle in midfield, but gradually FCH worked their way into the game. After five minutes, Helsingør won its first corner, and it was very close to Jonas Henriksen being able to kick the ball in after Andreas Holm had flicked it on with his head. This was followed by two more corners, where the last one in particular was dangerous, as Pascal Gregor got highest and narrowly headed over. A good start from FC Helsingør.
After a quarter of an hour, Douglas tackled your man out on the wing and dribbled into the box with the ball. There he tried to find Matheus, and after a bit of ping-pong the ball ended up with Nicolas Mortensen, who shot just wide from an otherwise fairly free position. But already the minute after, Matheus was close to getting on the scoresheet. He got the ball just outside the box, skipped past his man with a slicing move, and shot towards the far corner. It was only by the tips of his fingers that Hvidovre goalkeeper Oliver Korch got down and tipped the ball onto the post. A fantastic move by Matheus.
When the clock had passed 20 minutes, Douglas got the ball surrounded by two opponents. He cheekily laid it back with his heel and found Matheus on the run. The little Brazilian took a handful of meters and finished decisively, but his shot was blocked in the last second and went out for a corner, which came to nothing.
Matheus had another good run shortly after, which ended the same way: a fine move, strong dribbling, a good finish that earned a corner FCH could not capitalize on. But it was very much FC Helsingør that controlled the game during this period.
We therefore had to wait until just after the half-hour mark before Hvidovre got their biggest chance. After a fine build-up, where FC Helsingør did manage to get into position, the ball fell to Magnus Fredslund, who finished with a sly, dipping shot. Fortunately, it did not dip enough, and went a meter or so over Mikkel Bruhn’s goal.
After that FCH dropped off a few meters, and there was a little more distance between the chances. Just before halftime, Matheus once again broke through the middle, and after a bit of 1-2 play with an excellent Jonas Henriksen, the ball ended up with TK, who finished decisively, but unfortunately straight at the goalkeeper. A big chance just before the halftime tea.
Hvidovre came best out of the dressing room and pressed the FCH players better from the start of the second half than they had done in the first half. After 49 minutes of play, they won a corner, which was delivered perfectly onto the forehead of Lirim Qamili, who, luckily for Helsingør, did not manage to direct his header on target, and the ball sailed over the goal. Hvidovre’s biggest chance up to that point.
Shortly after, the home side were close again after good build-up play from substitute Qamili. The ball ended up centrally with Kim Aabech, who shot wide. It was Hvidovre that swarmed during this phase of the match.
We had to wait until just before the clock hit an hour before FCH got their first chance of the half. Matheus dribbled past a man in front of goal and struck the ball. But the shot flew past the post without causing goalkeeper Korch any problems.
After 69 minutes, no more. A cross was played in from the right side into the FCH box. Bruhn was caught off guard, and Nicolai Bak Johannessen could head the ball in a soft arc over the FCH goalkeeper.
1-0 Hvidovre IF
FC Helsingør tried to turn up the pressure, and brought on Carl Lange and Adnan Mohammad. Even so, it was Hvidovre who came closest, as they broke three against one. The FCH players got in a good recovery run, but the ball still made it through to Lirim Qamili. He was completely alone with Mikkel Bruhn, but Bruhn came all the way out to the edge of the box and blocked the shot. An excellent intervention by the Helsingør goalkeeper, and very, very close to Hvidovre doubling their lead.
FC Helsingør substituted young Willumsen on in the 82th minute in place of Matheus, who had run dry, and shortly after it was unreasonably close to FCH equalizing. A corner dropped into the box and friends and foes fought like mad to get the final touch. Both Holm and Patrick Olsen shot at goal, but both efforts were blocked, one on the line.
The minute before we reached the 90, Hvidovre were incredibly close again. A cross-field pass from TK to Patrick was intercepted, and Hvidovre’s Qamili broke away all alone. However, he took the wrong run, and then Patrick Olsen could catch him and win the ball. Big chance.
In stoppage time, Mikkel Bruhn went up for a corner. The ball was cleared out to a Hvidovre player, who drove up along the line and shot at the empty goal. However, the ball lacked the power, and then Patrick Olsen, with a desperate sprint, could prevent the ball from going in.
That allowed Hvidovre to see out the clock, and note that the win was only 1-0. It now seemed that the home side were quite satisfied with that development, while FC Helsingør had to swallow their second one-goal defeat in a row.
FCH: Bruhn, Bay, Holm, Gregor, Henriksen, Basse, Christian ”TK” Køhler, Olsen, Matheus, Mortensen, Douglas
Substitutes: Mohammad, Lange, Willumsen
Referee: Jonas Hansen
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
