FC Helsingør had to accept the season’s first home defeat when Middelfart twice struck on the counter and took the win in Sunday’s match. FCH had plenty of chances, but through a mixture of luck and defensive tenacity, the visitors still managed to steal the victory.
The match was marked by the long break for both teams, and there were many misplaced passes and mediocre actions throughout the game from both sides.
It was, however, FCH who started best, and after two minutes the home side won a free kick about ten meters outside the box. Anders Holst stepped up, but sent his effort far over Casper Radza in the Middelfart goal. There was still some Corona rust that needed knocking off for both teams from the start of the match.
After six minutes of play, FCH launched a counter from their own box. Lucas Haren received the ball on the edge of the area and played it first time around his marker and into the box. Haren outran his opponent, but could not reach the ball, which went over the byline. A good touch by the winger.
Three minutes later Nicolas Mortensen was close. Jeppe Kjær won a free kick a couple of meters outside the box. Nicolas Mortensen stepped up and sent it in a beautiful arc toward goal. But Casper Radza was alert and punched the ball onto the crossbar and out. Close for FC Helsingør’s top scorer.
After 12 minutes of play, Middelfart got the first thing resembling a chance. HC “Kritte” Bonnesen had to concede a corner in a duel out by the corner flag. The ball was whipped in well in front of goal, where neither friends nor foes got to it, but in the end Andreas Holm could clear the ball away and send it “out of the municipality.”
With 20 minutes on the clock, the next big chance came. Nicolas Mortensen received the ball a meter outside the box, but was tightly marked. He laid it off first time to Jonas Henriksen on the right side. Henriksen played the ball back in front of goal, where Radza in the last second got a hand to it, just ahead of Jeppe Kjær and Nicolas Mortensen, who were both flying in.
And two minutes later it was close again. Anders Holst sent in a corner, where an FCH player in the crowd got a flick on it. TK headed toward goal, and the ball went via Radza’s glove and the crossbar into the net. But the referee blew at that exact moment for a free kick, which was immediately very hard to see, and the goal was not allowed to stand. But it was FCH who were pressing now.
After 28 minutes Nicolas Mortensen again had a good opportunity. “TK” drew a free kick on the left side. Anders Holst played the ball into the box, and on the right side of the area Nicolas Mortensen got his head to it. However, the striker was well covered by Middelfart’s big defenders, and the ball went into the side netting.
FCH kept pressing around the Middelfart box, and another set piece produced another good chance just over half an hour into the game. Frederik Christensen took a corner from the right side, and all the way down by the byline to the left of goal Nicolas Mortensen got a foot to it. But Radza was alert again and saved the shot.
A few minutes later it was Lucas Haren’s turn to have a good finish. Jeppe Kjær brought down a long ball into the box and, under heavy pressure, laid it back to an onrushing Lucas Haren. Haren took one touch and shot from just outside the area. The ball skimmed just over the goal, but it was a good attempt from Haren.
After 40 minutes Holst received the ball outside his own box. He brought it down and carried it past his opponent. Holst then went on a long run through the middle, with Mortensen, Kjær and “TK” with him. TK drifted wide to the right, and Holst slipped it through. TK delivered the cross centrally, but Mortensen had just been caught offside.
After 42 minutes it went wrong for the home side. Middelfart broke on the counter, and inside the box the FCH defense cleared the first shot, but the ball fell to Middelfart’s no. 90, Esben Pedersen, who from a position on the edge of the area could curl the ball around Kevin Stuhr in the box and into the net
0-1 Middelfart.
Nothing more happened in the first half, and FCH had to go into the break behind 0-1. That was not entirely fair based on the number of chances, but FCH had not really managed to impose themselves on the match as they had become used to at home.
FCH came out better for the second half and pressed up around Middelfart’s box. After five minutes came the first really big chance. Lucas Haren received a ball in the middle, drifted out to the right side, and under heavy pressure managed to play the ball forward from an almost lying position. Jeppe Kjær received it and drove toward goal. Inside the box he shot from the right side toward the far corner, but the ball skimmed just past the far post. Good action from Haren and Kjær.
In the 51th minute Middelfart came to their first big chance of the half. A Middelfart player drove up the right side and sent in a cross in front. At the far post one of Middelfart’s forwards got to the ball, but his finish was completely mis-hit and went over both goal and the stadium fence.
Morten Eskesen took the consequence of FCH not being able to fully dominate the game, and replaced Anders Holst and “Kritte” Bonnesen with Carl Lange and Dalton Wilkins.
After just over an hour of play it nearly paid off when Dalton Wilkins from his position at left back found Jeppe Kjær with a fine through ball between friends and foes a little 10 meters outside the box. Jeppe Kjær took the ball first time and was through on goal, but the referee’s whistle echoed around the stadium as the linesman’s flag was raised for an offside that looked more than doubtful.
Two minutes later Middelfart struck on the counter again. Middelfart’s Rasmus Hansen received the ball and turned his marker. He broke away through on goal, and inside the box had no trouble beating Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard in goal and increasing the lead.
0-2 Middelfart.
Just before the 70 minutes were up, FCH made another double substitution, as Eli Just and Teddy Bergqvist replaced Lucas Haren and Nicolas Mortensen. After the Corona break, teams are allowed to substitute five players instead of the normal three, and FCH therefore used that.
Five minutes later FCH were close. Teddy Bergqvist won a free kick just outside the six-yard box on the left side. Frederik Christensen played it across, where Middelfart cleared. Jonas Henriksen and Eli Just worked the ball forward together on the right side, and Jonas Henriksen eventually managed to send it in front, where Andreas Holm unfortunately could not generate quite enough power in his header.
But FCH kept pressing, and shortly after Carl Lange was close after carrying the ball forward on the left side and cutting in toward the box. Just outside the area he struck toward the near corner and forced Radza into a fantastic save right up in the angle. On the rebound it was incredibly close that Kjær could score, but Middelfart got the chestnuts out of the fire.
The game was getting fast now, and around the 80th minute it was a couple of times close to Kjær being able to get on the end of a couple of crosses in the box, but Middelfart’s broad-shouldered defense closed down each time it looked dangerous.
Chris Cortez was FCH’s last substitution, as he shortly after replaced TK, and he had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes when he came to a huge chance. Frederik Christensen received the ball on the left side of the box and delivered a good cross. In front of goal Eli Just could not get his head properly to it, but on the rebound Cortez, right under the goal, should really have scored, but his effort was blocked and went over the goal.
Two minutes into added time, FCH finally managed to get the ball in the net. A long pass from Andreas Holm found Chris Cortez on the edge of the box. The American cleverly turned his marker and sent a hard low shot into the net.
1-2 FC Helsingør
FCH tried by all means to force one more chance, but time ran out, and the Helsingør side had to note their first home defeat of the season in a match that to some extent was marked by the long break, both physically and in terms of play. The next match is away against promotion rivals Aarhus Fremad on Saturday 20 at 15.00.
FCH: Ellegaard, “Kritte” Bonnesen (59’ D. Wilkins), N. Hansen, A. Holm, J. Henriksen, Holst (59’ Lange) F. Christensen, “TK” Kristensen (83’ Cortez), Haren (71’ E. Just), J. Kjær, N. Mortensen (71, T. Bergqvist)
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
