In a cold and hard-fought match against HB Køge, FC Helsingør managed to leave Køge with a single point. Neither team created any really big open chances, and both defences stood very well. So 0-0 was fair enough, given the play and the chances.
It was Helsingør who started the match best. The away side managed to put some good pressure on the Køge midfield, and most of the play took place on Køge’s half. Only a few minutes had been played when Jonas Henriksen came close to reaching a corner, but he headed wide.
After eight minutes, former FCH player Martin Koch broke free on a counterattack in a situation that smelled a bit of offside. The blond striker was through on his own, but Mikkel Bruhn came out excellently from his goal and managed to block the finish with a save using his foot.
The next ten minutes were very much affected by the strong crosswind at the not quite finished stadium in Køge. Only the flat, short passes worked, and both teams had trouble finding teammates with the longer passes.
After 20 minutes, Collen Warner, who had been given his first start, found Lucas Haren with a beautiful diagonal pass. The right back drove to the byline and delivered the cross first time. In front of goal, Christian ”TK” Köhler stretched himself to the utmost, but just failed to get a touch on the ball. Good build-up play from FC Helsingør.
After half an hour, Christian Overby suddenly got past his man on the left side. He cut into the box and sent a dangerous shot toward the near post. The ball, however, just sailed past the post, and Bruhn could breathe a sigh of relief in the FCH goal.
A minute later, Anders Holst drove up through the middle with the ball. He found a teammate who laid the ball across. In front of goal, Osama Akharraz was free and tried to lay it off for a teammate, but without success. He probably should have taken the shot in that situation.
The half continued without any major opportunities for either team, so time ran out and neither side could complain about a point being shared at the break.
From the start of the second half, FCH switched to a slightly more offensive 3-5-2 formation, and after a few minutes it was close to paying off when Lucas Haren, after a corner, got to a rebound on the edge of the box. He cut inside and got a shot away, but Køge goalkeeper Andreas Hansen blocked it.
Shortly after, Lucas Haren had to go off after an aerial challenge, where he took a proper knock. He was replaced by Nicolas Mortensen. That did not give either team any more big chances, and the match entered a phase marked by many physical duels, stoppages and free kicks.
After 76 minutes, Køge came very close. A ball was carried up the right side, and a clever backheel pass freed Henrik Madsen. He cut into the box and played a ball across. In front of goal, a Køge player was almost free but somehow failed to put the ball away.
In the next moment, HB Køge again got a ball into the box, where it was flicked on. Right under goal, it dropped down, and the Køge and Helsingør players kicked huge holes in the air in their attempt to win it. In the end, however, Mikkel Bruhn managed to gather the ball just ahead of a Køge player.
When we reached the 80 minute mark, Matheus was close to scoring. He made a run in behind and got a touch on a ball in front of his opponent. But Køge goalkeeper Hansen managed to recover at the very last moment.
In stoppage time, Nicolas Mortensen managed to win the ball and send it on to Matheus in the same movement. The Brazilian took the shot, but the ball went wide. HB Køge also had a single half-hearted effort, but Mikkel Bruhn safely collected the ball. On the subsequent goal kick, Køge’s Jakob Johansson ran over and blocked Bruhn’s kick. Referee Patrick Rasmussen judged that to be a yellow card, and it was Johansson’s second, so he had to leave a minute before the rest of the players.
Neither team managed to establish an attack in the final minute, and so the match ended as it started. 0-0
FCH: Bruhn, Bay (46’ Jørgensen), Gregor, Henriksen, Haren (53’ Mortensen), Warner, Olsen, ”TK” Köhler, Matheus, Holst, Akharraz (74’ Basse)
Referee: Patrick Rasmussen
