FC Helsingør took the lead 1-0 against Brøndby IF, and for large parts of the match matched Niels Frederiksen's team evenly, but ultimately had to settle for 1-1 in Friday's friendly.
It was two sides in something very close to their strongest lineups that faced each other in the first half, and FC Helsingør succeeded for most of the match in moving the ball nicely around and playing their way out of Brøndby's press. Brøndby did, however, manage to play through the FCH press a couple of times in the first half. The most dangerous moment came when Michael Uhre scored from a good cross from Andreas Bruus on the right side. But Uhre had been offside, and the referee raised the flag on the touchline.
Otherwise, FC Helsingør succeeded with most things defensively, and the couple of times BIF got through, Kevin Stuhr was ready in goal, and the veteran made a couple of really good saves. So the first half ended goalless.
FC Helsingør came out really well for the second half, and after a little over an hour of play substitute Lucas Haren went past his marker on the right side. Haren set off on a run, and centrally McCowatt and Lange joined in at full sprint. Haren delivered a beautiful curling cross to Lange, who coolly placed the ball past Schwäbe in the Brøndby goal and into the far corner for a North Zealand 1-0 lead. Excellent build-up play by Haren and Lange.
But a quarter of an hour later Brøndby equalized after some good attacking play. The new man at left back Michael Lumb received a good ball in a free position on the left side of the box. Lumb laid the ball across the box to Lasse Vigen, who played it centrally to Anis Slimane, who had slipped into the six-yard box. From close range Slimane did not miss, and he calmly placed the ball under Kevin Stuhr for the West Region equalizer.
Towards the end of the match Brøndby pressed on, and FC Helsingør were challenged physically. But the home team stood firm, and could thus note a good result, and the best-played friendly of the winter so far, against a strong Brøndby side.
FCH: K. Stuhr Ellegaard, N. Mouritsen, N. Geertsen, N. Hansen, A. Holst, D. Norouzi, F. Juul Christensen, T. Adamsen, O. Kjærgaard, C. Lange, C. McCowatt.
Substitutes: F. Bay, P. Rejnhold, A. Stjernegaard, H.C. Bonnesen
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
