It was an FC Helsingør side in good control that on Wednesday evening took a comfortable 3-1 victory over AB at home in Helsingør.
AB came to the match in good spirits, and with fine ball control, and offered the home team a challenge for much of the match. But it was an FC Helsingør side that played intelligently, and they accepted it. After only two minutes of play, the two New Zealanders Eli Just and Dalton Wilkins played a clever one-two that sent Dalton through on the left side. He delivered a low cross in front of goal, where it was close to Chris Cortez getting a shot away, but the American was marked, and the ball rolled untouched all the way through the box.
FC Helsingør swarmed around the AB box at the start of the match, and after six minutes Andreas Holm won a free kick a fair distance outside the box. Frederik Christensen sent the ball in front of goal and AB had to concede a corner. Norouzi swung it in nicely, but Nikolaj Hansen, who otherwise rose well between his markers, could not direct the ball properly downward with his header, and the attempt went wide of the post.
AB gained a little more control of the game after that, and managed to move the match down to midfield rather than in front of their own box. After 16 minutes of play, that yielded a couple of corners, but FC Helsingør cleared both situations before it became dangerous.
Both teams were looking for a decisive counterattack, but there were far between the open chances in the opening stages. FCH pressed up around the AB box, and AB wanted to win the ball and send one of their fast players off on a break. That led to a number of duels, and after 20 minutes Jeppe Kjær won a free kick just outside the box, but the striker sent the ball straight into the wall on the following attempt.
But in the 27th minute, FCH broke the deadlock. Daniel Norouzi sent a beautiful diagonal pass over 30 metres to Dalton Wilkins on the left side. Dalton brought the ball down and played an equally beautiful cross into the head of Chris Cortez at the far post, where the American emphatically headed the ball past AB goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer. A textbook build-up in the ABCs of football.
1-0 FC Helsingør.
The goal did not make FC Helsingør loosen the reins, and the high pressure around the AB box continued for the next ten minutes. It was close to creating a good chance from a well-taken corner by Frederik Christensen, but in front of goal Cortez could not get his head to it this time. The ball instead fell to Jeppe Kjær, but he was back to goal and could not turn for a shot.
In the 40th minute, AB got their biggest chance of the match so far. An AB player cut across the box and left his leg hanging in a duel with Daniel Norouzi. Free kick. Two men went for the ball, and the first shot hit the wall. On the rebound, the second man got to it, but his shot went wide of the near post. The shot gave the visitors a bit of blood in their teeth, and shortly after their left winger got away. He sent in a good cross centrally, where FCH’s defence had not yet set itself, but completely free in front of goal AB’s Frederik Ellegaard headed it past the far post. Huge chance for AB, and rarely reassuring from the FCH defence.
“TK” Kristensen had picked up a knock early in the half, and after 43 minutes had to go off. He was replaced by Oliver Kjærgaard. And in the last duel before the halftime whistle, it was Andreas Holm’s turn to hit the deck, as he was struck in the head in an aerial challenge in the AB box.
Holm was taped up at halftime, and that meant FCH could come out for the second half in the same formation that went into the break.
Oliver Kjærgaard made a good impression after coming on, and after less than two minutes he played a good ball from the right side to the edge of the box, where Jeppe Kjær received it right at his feet. FCH’s top scorer was, however, well marked, and once again he could not get around for a shot.
After five minutes Kjærgaard was involved again. Once more he found Jeppe Kjær at his feet, and Kjær was brought down illegally a couple of metres outside the box. Chris Cortez took the free kick, but sent the ball a good distance over the goal.
In the 54th minute, AB got their first chance of the half. Lightning-fast Seejou King got the ball on the left side and got past his man. Centrally he found an AB player with a good pass, but the shot was weak, and Kevin Stuhr could catch the ball.
A minute later Teddy Bergqvist replaced Chris Cortez in attack. The goalscorer had fought hard for it in the first half, and looked fairly spent when he went off.
Shortly after, FC Helsingør extended the lead. Oliver Kjærgaard played a clever flick over an opponent to Jeppe Kjær. Kjær brought the ball along just as cleverly and cut into the box. There an AB defender got into his back, but failed to win the ball. Instead, he clumsily brought Kjær down, and the referee promptly awarded a penalty. Jeppe Kjær took it himself, and with no fuss he put the ball into the left side of the goal.
2-0 FC Helsingør
Andreas Holm had taken one more knock, after colliding with an AB player in a header duel, and immediately after the goal he had to come off in favour of this year’s FCH talent, Mathias “Mac” Christensen, who came on for his second senior match in an FCH shirt.
The next ten minutes saw the play move further toward midfield, and both teams gave and took in the duels without it resulting in big chances for either side. AB were clearly one of the more secure-on-the-ball teams the FCH men had met at home this season, and in several passages during the match they moved the ball well and forced FCH to be smart in their defending and positioning.
But in the 80th minute, FC Helsingør put their foot down. Jeppe Kjær got the ball all the way out by the touchline on the right side. He seemed to be completely covered, but it is not without reason that opponents fear his pace. Kjær forced his way past his marker with the ball and drove to the byline, where he delivered a millimetre-precise cross centrally in front of goal. Teddy Bergqvist was standing where a centre-forward should stand, and the Swede calmly put the ball in with a low inside-foot finish.
3-0 FC Helsingør
But four minutes later AB did manage to pull one back. A quick one-two in midfield created a counterattack through the center, and from the edge of the box AB’s no. 23, Karim El Kaddouchi, struck the ball, which went in just beyond Kevin Stuhr’s reach.
3-1 AB
In the closing stages frustrations boiled over for the visitors, and a couple of rather nasty fouls were committed against FCH players in the final phase before the referee could blow for full time. Unfortunately for the Helsingør side, HIK could not beat Aarhus Fremad, so the promotion race remains open until the very end. The tension will be resolved as early as Saturday, when FC Helsingør travel to North Jutland to face Jammerbugt. The mission is clear in advance: one point or more, and promotion is secured.
FCH: K. Ellegaard, D. Wilkins, N. Hansen, A. Holm (59’ M. Christensen) J. Henriksen, E. Just, D. Norouzi, TK Kristensen (’43 O. Kjærgaard), F.Kristensen, C. Cortez (56’ T. Bergqvist), J. Kjær
