FC Helsingør drew with Viborg FF in a rain-soaked match that was more characterized by fight than good play, and where there could be no complaints about the result, despite the fact that FC Helsingør were the better team for long periods of the match.
FCH came out of the dressing room in red shirts bearing a final greeting to FC Helsingør's sales department's Torben Ellegaard, who passed away in the past week. The popular colleague was thus in our thoughts at Viborg Stadion, where he helped celebrate promotion last season.
A minute and a half into the match, Viborg created a good cross from the right. It was centimeters away from captain Andreas Holm heading into his own net, but the ball hit the post, and Mikkel Bruhn could dive down between friends and foes and claim the ball. A good start from Viborg, and a wake-up call for Helsingør.
FC Helsingør then tried to push the game a little higher up toward Viborg's goal, but the home side looked for the runs in behind, and after eight minutes they were close to succeeding. A ball was chipped out to Christian Sivebæk, who ran straight at goal. Andreas Holm made a sliding block, so Sivebæk laid the ball back into the box where Jung Bin Park had run in, but once again Mikkel Bruhn came out with an excellent block. A big chance for Viborg, but excellent goalkeeping by Bruhn.
After a quarter of an hour FCH had their biggest chance when Mikkel Basse cut into the box after a throw-in. He played it across, and in front of goal the ball fell to Pascal Gregor, who struck first time. Unfortunately, the shot went a meter over the goal.
In the ensuing passage of play Viborg broke forward and found FC Helsingør a little out of balance. Jeff Mensah struck hard after the long corner, but the ball went a few cm wide of the post.
The match was quite lively in this phase, and only a couple of minutes passed before it was Helsingør's turn to have a big chance. Adnan cut in from the right side and found Matheus, who was running in behind. He laid the ball diagonally back to Douglas, who could not quite get to the finish. The shot was blocked, and the stadium held its breath as the ball slowly rolled toward goal. Unfortunately for FCH, it went just wide.
It was FCH who had the initiative in this phase, and shortly after Matheus had a back-heel finish that Douglas could not poke over the line.
But it was still the home side that took the lead after 22 minutes. FC Helsingør were caught high up the pitch after losing possession, and Sivebæk was then sent through in behind alone. This time an advancing Mikkel Bruhn could not block the shot, as Sivebæk elegantly rounded the FCH goalkeeper and calmly placed the ball into the far corner.
1-0 Viborg FF
Just before the half-hour mark Viborg had another attempt, when a cross found Jeff Mensah just outside the box, but the area was well populated with players and the shot was blocked.
For the next ten minutes FC Helsingør put the home side under heavy pressure, and Viborg had their hands full defending. They did so with quality, however, and it was difficult for FCH players to find holes in the VFF defense. We had to go all the way to the 39th minute before the next opportunity arose. Fisch played a fine cross in behind the Viborg defense, and Matheus rose up, but his header was straight at goalkeeper Ingvar Jónsson.
Viborg then pushed up and swarmed around the FCH goal before the break. They came close after a corner that flew all the way through the box and really only needed a touch, but that was all, and the teams went into halftime with a narrow Viborg lead, but also with an FC Helsingør side that had the feeling they were not far from scoring.
Indeed, only five minutes of the second half had been played before FC Helsingør equalized. A long throw from TK was flicked on by Andreas Holm, and Pascal Gregor stood free right in front of goal. He swung his leg perfectly and put the ball high into the net beyond Jónsson's reach.
1-1 FC Helsingør
Two minutes later FCH were also close to taking the lead. After a Viborg corner, five Helsingør players broke away on a counterattack. TK carried the ball forward and found Adnan on the left side of the box. He cut in and shot, but Jónsson got down just in time to block it. A big chance for Helsingør!
The goal sparked Viborg a little, as they pressed for a go-ahead goal. FCH dropped a little deeper on the pitch and mostly played on the counter. That led to a slightly static game picture, with the ball being played a lot around FCH's back line, and Viborg had trouble breaking through the lines. TK and Matheus had several good actions, with the ball being carried up the pitch, and Adnan dribbled past his opponents in several sequences, but once they reached the Viborg box the chances were shut down.
We had to go all the way to the 83th minute before another chance came along. Substitute Jonas Henriksen received the ball on the right side and put in a sharp cross to Douglas, but the Brazilian's header arced over the goal.
Helsingør did not go all in at the end, and as Viborg could not really get through the solid FC Helsingør defense, the match ended in a deserved share of the points between the two promotion contenders.
FCH: Bruhn, Bay, Holm, Gregor, Fisch, Matheus, Basse, ”TK” Kjøhler, Olsen, Mohammad, Douglas
Substitutes: Henriksen
Referee: Chris Johansen.
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
