Fourth place was secured two rounds before the end, as FC Helsingør on Sunday afternoon beat the direct competitor for the spot, FC Fredericia, by 2-1 at home in Helsingør. The Helsingør side played a magnificent match against Fredericia, who only at the very end managed to create a bit of suspense in the game.
It was FC Helsingør that got off to the better start. The first ten minutes were one long spell of pressure on FC Fredericia’s goal, and Philip Rejnhold had the first shot in the match when, after six minutes, he got a strike away from the right side of the box, but sent it over. Shortly after, a poor clearance from Fredericia goalkeeper Elias Olafsson almost led to a big chance, and minutes later Nikolaj Hansen and Nicolai Geertsen were both close in the same sequence. But the chestnuts were pulled out of the fire, and the Helsingør players failed to break the deadlock early.
After a quarter of an hour, Liam Jordan played a ball across Fredericia’s box, which was cleared out of the area. On the left side, Nicklas Mouritsen had pushed forward, and he fired a thunderous effort on goal from just 25 metres, which Olafsson saved, but could not hold. Tonni Adamsen tried to follow up, but Olafsson got down well and saved the chance.
FC Helsingør swarmed and swarmed, and after 23 minutes there was a reward. Philip Rejnhold made a run down the right side. The marauding right-back cut inside and tried twice to shoot at goal. Both shots were blocked, but the second time the ball fell to Nicklas Mouritsen, who for the second time in the match struck at goal from long range. This time the ball flew past Olafsson and into the far corner, impossible to save. Beautiful, beautiful first goal by Mouritsen in the FCH shirt.
1-0 FC Helsingør
Fredericia were rare visitors in and around the FCH box, but they did manage one attempt after just over half an hour. Christoffer Petersen got down well and saved the shot.
Five minutes before the break, Eli Just sent a good ball out to Tonni Adamsen on the left side. Adamsen cut inside and sent a dangerous shot at goal, but Olafsson was alert and saved it.
Nothing else happened in the first half, and FC Helsingør could go into the break after a very convincing first half against an opponent that has often caused us problems.
The second half was barely a minute and a half old when FC Helsingør extended the lead. Daniel Norouzi sent a ball across the small box, where Tonni Adamsen had made exactly the right run. In front of goal, Adamsen calmly placed his foot on it and steered the ball into the net. The Fredericia players looked like people who had not quite come out of the dressing room yet.
2-0 FC Helsingør
After 53 minutes, Nicklas Mouritsen played a good ball centrally to Tonni Adamsen, who cleverly played Eli Just free with a backheel. Eli was very free as he ran toward goal, but when he got into the box, he chose to play it across rather than shoot himself, and a Fredericia defender managed to get across and clear the cross before it reached Adamsen on the far side.
Shortly after, Nicolai Geertsen was close from a corner, but the central defender, strong in the air, sent his header over the goal. It was still FC Helsingør who set the tone in the match, even though they were two goals ahead.
In the 64th minute, a somewhat strange situation arose. FC Fredericia sent a ball in behind for Samson Iyede, who had run offside with two men behind him. Iyede did not reach the ball, and instead it ended up with Kristian Kirkegaard, who was through on goal alone. All the FCH players were waiting for an offside call that never came, as the referee waved away his own assistant referee’s raised flag. However, there was one person who was alert, and that was Christoffer Petersen, who stayed on his feet and calmly took Kirkegaard’s shot. A fantastic save from “P”, but a somewhat incomprehensible refereeing decision in the moment.
In the 69th minute, FCH sent a long ball forward towards substitute David Boysen, who was held in a wrestling grip, and Fredericia managed to clear. It looked like a free kick, but the referee’s whistle stayed silent. Instead, Fredericia could break, and from the edge of the box Christian Tue sent a hard low shot at goal. Christoffer Petersen bent down to gather it, but underestimated the shot, which went through his gloves and into the net.
2-1 FC Fredericia
The goal, and a number of substitutions on both teams, disrupted the rhythm of the match, and Fredericia succeeded in pushing the pressure higher up the FC Helsingør half of the pitch. It was the buildup to several chances, but the FC Helsingør defence closed things down well in their own lines.
After 82 minutes, a ball was won in the FCH box, and Callum McCowatt was sent off on a counterattack. He had David Boysen with him, and Callum played Boysen free at exactly the right moment, and Boysen shot from a tight angle on the edge of the right side of the box. But Olafsson stayed cool, came out and blocked Boysen’s shot.
It became a little nervy for FC Helsingør toward the end of normal time, and Fredericia committed a number of fouls and applied more physical pressure on the FCH players.
The referee chose to add four minutes, but FC Helsingør played it wisely around, and Lucas Haren won an important corner when he made an excellent run of over 60 metres with the ball.
Then time passed, as they say. And after four and a half minutes, the FCH players could deservedly raise their arms after a very well-played match that secured fourth place two rounds before the end.
FCH: C. Petersen, A. Holst, N. Hansen, N. Geertsen, N. Mouritsen, F. Juul Christensen, D. Norouzi, E, Just (’63 C. McCowatt) , P. Rejnhold (’76 L. Haren), T. Adamsen (’63 D. Boysen), L. Jordan (’76 O. Kjærgaard)
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
