It was a match FC Helsingør could be very proud of, but just like the Esbjerg match last week, Friday evening’s game against league leaders Viborg ended in a narrow defeat.
FC Helsingør fielded a somewhat depleted side. Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard and Frederik Juul Christensen were in Corona quarantine, Jeppe Kjær, Jonas Henriksen and Dalton Wilkins were nursing long-term injuries, Eli Just and Sebastian Czajkowski were not ready, and Callum McCowatt had not recovered from his slight concussion from the last match. But it was actually hard to see that FCH were fielding the reserves for large parts of the game.
It was the visitors from Viborg who pressed in the first minutes of the match, which looked like an attempt at a shock start, but FCH’s defence held firm and had one good counterattack through Andreas Smed and Lucas Haren. But it was Viborg who got the first dangerous finish. After eight minutes of play, Viborg put in a good corner into the box, where Christoffer Petersen could not get out to the ball. It dropped at the feet of a Viborg player, who struck at the ball, but Petersen had got back into position, and with a strong reflex save he sent the dangerous shot wide of the post.
FC Helsingør managed to push Viborg a little further back on the pitch, and just before the quarter-hour mark FCH had a couple of good chances. First it was Lucas Haren, who got away well down the right flank and sent a good cross toward Andreas Smed and Kjærgaard, who, however, could not reach the ball. Then it was a dangerous corner that was cleared out to Oliver Kjærgaard, who hit it first time. The ball hit a Viborg player in the box, and the FCH players appealed for handball, but the referee, who was in a rather good position, waved play on.
Two minutes later another rebound from a corner fell to an FCH player, this time Philip Rejnhold, and the full-back sent a sneaky shot toward the far corner, forcing Patrik Gunnarsson in the Viborg goal into a good save. Good moments from FC Helsingør in this phase of the match.
After that came ten minutes where both teams battled in midfield, but could not really get anything going toward the opponent’s goal. In the 27th minute, Anders Holst had pushed up and received the ball on the right side. Holst looked up and saw no free teammates, so instead took the ball past his marker himself. Holst drove into the box, and although he was well covered, the veteran managed to send a dangerous shot toward the near corner, where Gunnarsson had to make an awkward save to keep the ball out.
In the 33th minute, Norouzi received a sharp through ball from Hans Christian Bonnesen and sent in a good cross into the box. Carl Lange had sneaked in there, and he got his head to it toward the far post. Lange was, however, covered well enough that he could not quite direct the shot, and the ball went wide.
Toward the end of the first half both teams fought fiercely for the ball in central areas, but neither side could really create anything major, and the score was still 0-0 when the referee blew for halftime.
From the start of the second half, the pattern of the game was much the same. Lots of duels in midfield, and two teams that did not work their way to big chances. FC Helsingør’s defence looked strong, and every time Viborg crossed the halfway line, the home side shut them down. Unfortunately the same applied the other way, where Andreas Smed and Oliver Kjærgaard had difficulty finding runs in behind against Viborg’s strong defence.
It would take a set piece to break the deadlock, and unfortunately it was the visitors who profited after 65 minutes of play. A raid through the middle ended with Daniel Norouzi committing a foul right on the edge of the box. Christian Sørensen took the free kick. The winger struck fiercely and low under the wall, and the ball flashed into the net by the far post.
0-1 Viborg FF
The coaching staff reacted to Viborg’s lead and replaced both men up front in the 68th minute. Anosike Ementa and David Boysen replaced Oliver Kjærgaard and Andreas Smed.
That immediately caused some commotion in Viborg’s box, as both Lucas Haren and David Boysen managed to deliver a couple of dangerous crosses toward the tall Anosike Ementa, who used his physical presence to cause trouble in the box. Viborg did weather the storm, however, and again moved the play higher up the pitch.
In the 75th minute, FC Helsingør brought a debutant onto the pitch, as young Alexander Stjernegaard replaced Casper Sloth in midfield.
Five minutes later, that created a chance when Anosike Ementa won a header in the box and laid the ball off to Lucas Haren on the edge of the box. Haren tried to get a shot away, but was closed down, and instead flicked the ball back with his heel. Stjernegaard got to the ball there, but he did not get enough power on his shot, and Gunnarsson was able to collect the ball.
In the 82th minute, Lucas Haren again got to a cross from the right, and in front of goal it was close to Anosike getting to the ball. But tightly marked, the big striker had to give in, and the ball went over the crossbar.
Three minutes from time Philip Rejnhold won a free kick just outside the box on the left side. Anders Holst sent a low ball into the box, and at the near post it was absurdly close to Lucas Haren turning the ball in, but the winger was marked, and the ball went the wrong side of the post.
FC Helsingør pressed strongly in stoppage time for an equaliser, but Viborg managed to shut it down, and a couple of good crosses did not produce any clear opportunities. FC Helsingør therefore had to go on the winter break with a one-goal defeat in their baggage, but above all also with a feeling that in the last two matches they had been able to challenge the top teams.
FCH: C. Petersen, P. Rejnhold, H.C. Bonnesen, N. Hansen, A. Holst, C. Lange, D. Norouzi, C. Sloth (’75 A. Stjernegaard), L. Haren, O. Kjærgaard (68’ Boysen) A. Smed (68’ A. Ementa)
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
