Friday evening’s trip to Jutland, where FC Helsingør met the Superliga relegated side from Esbjerg, ended in a narrow defeat against an EFB side that they matched for long periods. Unfortunately, a couple of big mistakes proved decisive for the visitors from Helsingør, who had to see their excellent start in 1. Division temporarily brought to a halt.
It was the home side from Esbjerg who applied the pressure from the start of the match, and no more than just over three minutes had been played before they got the first chance. A good raid down the left flank ended with a dangerous cross, but up front EFB’s Yakovenko was pressed enough by league debutant Brandon Onkony that he could not get his header down low enough. But a big chance.
Three minutes later it was FC Helsingør’s turn to get a big chance. Jeppe Kjær received the ball out on the right side and cut in toward goal. Esbjerg’s back line was actually well positioned, but Kjær still managed to send the ball into the box, where two EFB defenders did not quite clear it properly. Oliver Kjærgaard had come into the area, but the clearance from the defense ended up going straight out behind Kjærgaard, who, however, could not get to the ball in the final moment.
After 11 minutes, Esbjerg thought they had scored. A cross hit Jonas Henriksen on the arm, and EFB appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on. The ball flew centrally into the area, and in the confusion it was an Esbjerg player who reached it first. He put it past Kevin Stuhr, but the linesman raised his flag because the scorer had come from an offside position. Close for Esbjerg.
But after 16 minutes, EFB put the ball in the net in a legitimate way. Another cross produced another dangerous header, which Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard, however, managed to tip away with a fantastic save. Right on the edge of the box, Daniel Norouzi went into a challenge for the ball far too aggressively, and his opponent crashed heavily to the ground. The referee blew immediately for the penalty. Yuriy Yakovenko converted it confidently with a powerful strike to the right side of the goal.
EFB 1-0
After that, FC Helsingør applied a bit more pressure and got their passing to click better, and ten minutes after the EFB goal it was close for Jeppe Kjær. Norouzi had seen that Carl Lange was unmarked out on the left wing and found him with a good diagonal pass. Lange made a run toward the byline, and with a couple of dribbles he reached it. There Lange, despite heavy pressure, managed to pull the ball across the face of goal, and at the near post EFB goalkeeper Jeppe Højbjerg got down in the nick of time and won the ball before Jeppe Kjær’s outstretched toe.
But after 27 minutes it went wrong for FCH again. A long pass was sent up to an Esbjerg player on the right flank, but Brandon Onkony was alert and took the ball from the EFB player. Onkony played the ball flat back to Kevin Stuhr, but the two misunderstood each other, and Stuhr moved forward just as Onkony laid the ball back. That caught Kevin on the wrong foot, and the ball rolled calmly past the goalkeeper and into the net, one of the more bizarre own goals.
2-0 EFB
The goal made Esbjerg drop a little deeper on the pitch, and FC Helsingør got a bit more of the play. The passing game was fine enough, but Esbjerg were smart and blocked the dangerous efforts, and FCH struggled to really play themselves into open chances.
Just before the break, Jeppe Kjær nevertheless got a chance. Frederik Juul Christensen received the ball centrally just outside the box and took his chance with a long-range effort. The shot went a good distance over, but Esbjerg’s Rodolph Austin tried to tackle the shot and arrived far, far too late. Free kick on the edge of the box. Jeppe Kjær stepped up to the ball, but unfortunately his shot went straight into the head of an EFB player in the wall.
That was the last big chance of the half, and FCH had to go into the dressing room two goals behind.
Four minutes into the second half, Esbjerg had the first big chance of the half. Jacob Ankersen played a sharp through ball between two FCH players to the onrushing Pyry Soiri, who got past his marker and lined up a shot. But in the last second substitute Frederik Bay came sliding in with a block and stopped the big chance. Strong intervention by Bay.
A couple of half-chances for Esbjerg followed, but FC Helsingør gradually fought their way back into the match. After 53 minutes that produced a good chance for Jeppe Kjær. Kjær got the ball out on the left side and, as usual, cut toward goal. When he entered the box, he lashed at the ball, but the shot was blocked. Kjær appealed strongly for handball, but neither the referee nor the TV images showed whether Kjær had a case.
But three minutes later FCH’s top scorer finally got on the scoresheet. Anders Holst laid the ball into the feet of Frederik Bay, who made a good overlapping run. At the byline Bay did not hesitate, but put in a good cross. Despite two giant EFB players in the area, Jeppe Kjær showed enough cleverness to be in exactly the right place, and the quick striker headed the ball superbly in with no chance for Højbjerg.
2-1 FC Helsingør
But after 65 minutes a thoroughly unfortunate day ended for Brandon Onkony. An Esbjerg pass was played up through the middle of the pitch, and substitute Bjarnason got to it in what looked like an offside position. The linesman’s flag stayed down, and Onkony tried to hinder Bjarnason’s breakaway with a shoulder challenge. Bjarnason went straight to the ground just outside the box, and the referee showed Onkony a somewhat harsh red card for going into Bjarnason’s back in an obvious scoring opportunity. The subsequent free kick, however, was sent well over the goal. A harsh fate for Onkony in his first league match.
Despite the sending-off, FCH fought on undeterred, and many duels were contested on the rain-soaked pitch. Esbjerg mostly looked for the counterattack that could close the match for them, and allowed FCH a share of the midfield play.
After 79 minutes Ankersen had a big chance in the box when a ball rather fortunately dropped to his feet. He struck from close range, but Kevin Stuhr got his hands to the shot and boxed it away. A good save by Stuhr Ellegaard, who had many good interventions on the day.
Toward the end of the match Esbjerg dropped further back, and FCH swarmed around the box without it becoming truly dangerous. Into stoppage time, FC Helsingør pumped one ball after another forward toward the strikers, but Esbjerg defended wisely. Only on a free kick from the edge of the box did they manage to create a chance, but Jeppe Kjær sent it into the wall again.
At the very end it was close to Esbjerg extending their lead on a triple chance in the box after a counterattack, but a sliding block in the area and two big saves from Kevin Stuhr kept EFB on two goals.
And so FC Helsingør had to accept their first defeat of the season, in a match where for long stretches it was more FC Helsingør who did not quite perform to the level than the home side who impressed.
Already on Wednesday FCH will have the opportunity to bounce back when HB Køge come to visit Helsingør. Due to the corona restrictions, the match is only open to sponsors and season ticket holders this time.
FCH: K. Ellegaard, P. Rejnhold, B. Onkony, J. Henriksen, A. Holst (’70 Boysen), C. Lange (45’ F. Bay), F. Juul Christensen (88’ A. Smed), D. Norouzi (T. Bergqvist), E. Just (45’ L. Haren), O. Kjærgaard, J. Kjær
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
