FC Helsingør claimed a convincing victory in Pandrup, as the promoted side from Jammerbugt FC were put in their place with a 6-0 defeat. 14 months ago FCH were one shot off the post from missing promotion against Jammerbugt themselves, but whether that made the FCH players feel that something needed to be put in its place is hard to say.
Complete control from FCH in the first half
FC Helsingør had changed quite a few players in the starting 11 for today's match. Mikkel Knudsen and Sebastian Czajkowski got their first starts of the year, and Nicklas Mouritsen and Oliver Kjærgaard were also back in the starting lineup. One might have feared that this would create a bit of uncertainty in the setup, but that was by no means the case, as there was simply a class difference between the visitors and the home side throughout the entire match.
Only three minutes had been played before FCH had their first huge chance. Sebastian Czajkowski pressed a Jammerbugt defender, who failed to control the ball, and suddenly Czajkowski was through on his own. Czajkowski dribbled past goalkeeper Marcus Bundgaard and ended up out on the side of the box. Instead of shooting, Czajkowski cut the ball across goal, but his teammates had not made the run, and Bundgaard was able to claim it just ahead of the onrushing FCH and Jammerbugt players.
But only two minutes later Bundgaard could only watch as FC Helsingør scored. Sebastian Czajkowski was held by the shirt and won a free kick on the left side of the pitch. Daniel Norouzi delivered it perfectly to Callum McCowatt, whose run completely fooled the Jammerbugt defence, and McCowatt sent his fourth league goal of the season into the net with a controlled header at the near post. Well set up by FCH.
0-1 FC Helsingør
FC Helsingør were completely in control from the start, and despite the early lead Jammerbugt sat very deep. The FCH players could patiently build up play and move the ball around within their own ranks, and the home side had nothing resembling a chance in the first ten minutes.
After 12 minutes it was close again. A long ball played forward from their own half ended up with Oliver Kjærgaard and Jammerbugt's Søren Pedersen, and Kjærgaard shrugged Pedersen off with a good physical action and got through alone into the box. Kjærgaard shot toward the far corner, but Bundgaard in goal got down and pulled off an excellent save. Still, it smelled of an imminent FCH goal.
It came after 17 minutes, and it was Sebastian Czajkowski who reaped the reward of his first start in the NordicBet Liga this season. A corner from the left was taken by Frederik Juul Christensen and delivered in a perfect arc over the crowd in the small box. At the far post Czajkowski was ready, and he steered the ball into the roof of the net with a controlled strike. Czajkowski's joy radiated across all of Pandrup. He had been searching for that goal for a long time, despite good play and fight in the matches he had been involved in this season, and it was almost the entire team that celebrated the goal in a huddle with "Seb".
0-2 FC Helsingør
The goal prompted Jammerbugt to try to press a little higher up the pitch, and that led to a couple of tame attempts and a couple of corners, which FCH were able to deal with without much trouble.
After 25 minutes Oliver Kjærgaard received a good ball through the middle and entered the box. Kjærgaard let fly, but once again had to watch Bundgaard save the shot from close range.
A minute later Jammerbugt had their first big chance. A good cross from the right side dropped to the feet of Max Møller, who beat his man and entered the box. Møller struck the ball, but from the middle of the box Kasper Enghardt slid in at exactly the right moment and blocked the shot. Excellent from Enghardt.
For the rest of the first half it was an FCH side in cruise control, moving the ball around within their own ranks and looking for possible counterattacks. Jammerbugt tried to get an advantage on set pieces, but FCH repelled every attempt at chances. It produced a match picture that was not particularly exciting to watch, but FC Helsingør were no doubt more than satisfied with it. Just before the referee blew for half-time, however, Callum McCowatt managed to get a shot on goal from the edge of the box, which Bundgaard could only block up under the crossbar but not hold. And then Oliver Kjærgaard was close to being able to follow up, but Kjærgaard had just barely drifted on to the wrong side of offside. FCH therefore had to settle for a 2-0 lead at the break, but that was probably fine too, having been in full control throughout the half.
FC Helsingør tore Jammerbugt apart in the 2 half
At the break FCH captain Nikolaj Hansen was substituted. He was replaced by Frederik Bay. However, it took no more than 30 seconds before FC Helsingør had their first chance, when Eli Just sent a ball just past the post from a position just outside the box. FCH pressed from the start of the second half, and two minutes later Eli Just was close again, when substitute Frederik Bay laid off a rebound from a set piece on the left side of the Jammerbugt box, where Just struck the ball and forced Bundgaard into another good save.
But five minutes later FCH effectively killed the match. Oliver Kjærgaard was positioned centrally and played the ball out to Callum McCowatt, who spun away and, in the same movement, laid the ball into space for Elijah Just, who squared it to the onrushing Sebastian Czajkowski. Despite the ball being a little behind Czajkowski, he still got a foot to it and sent the ball into the net via the post.
0-3 FC Helsingør
Ten minutes into the second half it was finally Jammerbugt's turn to shoot at goal. A poor clearance from the FCH defence dropped to the feet of Bardhec Bytyqi, who took one touch and sent the ball toward the far post. Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard, who truth be told had not had much to do, was alert when he needed to be and got all the way to the post to save Bytyqi's shot.
FC Helsingør continued the pattern from the first half, with the ball kept within their own ranks and any attempt at attacking play from Jammerbugt being dismissed without fuss. FCH tried a couple of long-range efforts and a couple of attempts to run in behind, but it never became truly dangerous. Still, one had the feeling that FCH had one more gear they could engage if needed.
After 72 minutes it was close. Oliver Drost and Peter Buch Christiansen had been brought on five minutes earlier, and the two did not need long to combine. Drost received a good ball on the run on the left side of the box and played it flat across to Peter Buch centrally. However, Buch was caught a little on the wrong foot and had to try to poke it in with his heel. Buch Christiansen did not quite manage to strike the ball properly, and it went wide.
A minute later Jammerbugt's best player on the day, Bardhec Bytyqi, played a good through ball to Abdramane Djitteye after a counterattack, but Djitteye shot straight at Kevin Stuhr from an otherwise very free position.
In the 78th minute Tonni Adamsen, who had replaced Oliver Kjærgaard a few minutes earlier, could then seal the game for good. Oliver Drost dribbled into the box, where he was clumsily brought down by a Jammerbugt player. The penalty was obvious, and Mikkel Redder blew without hesitation. Tonni Adamsen took the penalty and placed the ball high to the side of the goal with no chance for Bundgaard.
0-4 FC Helsingør
And five minutes from time Mikkel Redder's whistle sounded again, when Callum McCowatt was tripped on the left side of the box and another penalty was unavoidable. This time Peter Buch Christiansen took it, and he was also certain from the spot.
0-5 FC Helsingør
Two minutes later Tonni Adamsen became a double goalscorer. Peter Buch played a flat ball across the box, but the freshly substituted Liam Jordan could not get there in front. The ball went all the way across to Nicklas Mouritsen, who delivered a fine cross straight onto the forehead of Tonni Adamsen, who had sneaked in to the edge of the six-yard box. Adamsen headed it in according to the striker's ABC, hard and downward, and Bundgaard could only watch as the ball flew in.
0-6 FC Helsingør
In stoppage time Oliver Drost unleashed a thunderous shot at goal when he saw Bundgaard off his line, but his beautiful effort struck the post and bounced back into play. After that Mikkel Redder took pity and blew for full time. A perfect finish to the many matches leading up to the international break, and FC Helsingør could once again leave the pitch with an exemplary performance in the bag.
FCH: K Stuhr Ellegaard, N. Mouritsen, N. Hansen (’45 F. Bay), K. Enghardt, M. Knudsen, D. Norouzi (’89 L. Jordan), F. Juul Christensen, C. McCowatt, O. Kjærgaard (’76 T. Adamsen), E. Just (’67 O. Drost), S. Czajkowski (’67 P. Buch Christiansen)
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
