It was an entertaining and eventful final home match, as FC Helsingør on Friday evening hosted Silkeborg in a good finish to the home season, which ended 3-3, after Silkeborg had taken the lead twice in the match.
The match started a little messy for both sides, with close duels and misplaced passes. In the sixth minute, Lucas Haren played a good cross-field ball forward to Liam Jordan, who was through on his own against Mads Kaalund. Kaalund got his arm on the ball, and the referee blew his whistle. The stadium held its breath, but Kaalund had touched the ball just outside the box, not inside it. Anders Holst took the free kick, but it was almost too close to goal, and the shot went into the wall.
In the 12th minute, things went wrong for FCH, and SIF showed a bit of the pace and class that have earned them promotion to the Superliga. Silkeborg won the ball with a high press in FCH's half, and Magnus Mattsson made exactly the right run. He was played in on the left side of the box and calmly finished from a tight angle.
0-1 Silkeborg IF
But five minutes later, FC Helsingør were back in the game. X played a superb ball out to the right wing for Liam Jordan. Jordan celebrated his recent contract extension by cutting inside, beating his marker with a move and shooting at goal. Jordan's shot took a deflection, totally wrong-footed Silkeborg goalkeeper Stan van Bladeren, and went in.
1-1 FC Helsingør
After 22 minutes, a bitter note was added when FC Helsingør had to take captain Nikolaj Hansen off with an injury, replacing him with Philip Rejnhold.
Just before the half-hour mark, FCH had a triple chance. First Liam Jordan cut inside and laid off a good ball to Callum McCowatt, who played it on at exactly the right moment to Lucas Haren. Haren was alone with the goalkeeper, but van Bladeren came out on top in the duel and blocked Haren's shot. The rebound fell first to Callum McCowatt, whose shot was also saved, and finally to Nicklas Mouritsen, who shot from distance, but van Bladeren saved again.
Two minutes later, Silkeborg struck again. Anders Lynge got the ball on the right side of the box after a quick counterattack and sent in a cross to Alexander Lind, who finished from close range in what looked suspiciously like offside. But the linesman's flag stayed down, and Silkeborg could celebrate.
1-2 Silkeborg IF
Shortly after, another FCH player had to go off injured, as Callum McCowatt had to be replaced by Elijah Just.
But in the 39th minute, FC Helsingør were level again, and once more it was Liam Jordan who was involved. Lucas Haren was sent down the flank and played a low cross into the six-yard box. There David Boysen flicked it on with his heel to Liam Jordan, who took one touch and placed it past the near post into the net.
2-2 FC Helsingør
After a bit of scrappy play from both teams, the referee could blow for half-time five minutes later after an entertaining first half, in which both teams had shown more going forward than backward.
The second half began as the first had ended, with plenty of possession for the Helsingør players and dangerous counters from Silkeborg. But when the SIF players reached the FCH box, a hard-working Helsingør defense shut down the chances.
In the 56th minute, the home side had their first really big chance. Eli Just drove forward from his own half and sent the ball out to David Boysen, who had drifted to the left. Boysen laid a superb first touch into the path of Eli, who had kept his run going. Eli Just cut into the box and, from a tight angle, fired a good shot across goal that went just wide of the far post. Good build-up play by Boysen and Just.
In the 63th minute, FC Helsingør took the lead for the first time in the match. Nicklas Mouritsen got the ball all the way out by the touchline, just over the halfway line. Mouritsen had his back to goal and appeared to be covered, but the left-back put his opponent on his heels with a brilliantly weighted backheel pass to Oliver Kjærgaard. Kjærgaard drove toward goal down a completely open left side and into the box. Centrally, his passing options were covered, so Kjærgaard took the chance himself and sent a beautiful curling shot past van Bladeren and into the net. Brilliantly finished by Oliver Kjærgaard, and brilliantly set up by Mouritsen.
3-2 FC Helsingør
In the 69th minute there were goosebumps at Helsingør Stadion, when Anders Holst was substituted after his last match for FC Helsingør, and everyone present in the stadium stood up and applauded the veteran off the pitch.
Along with Holst, David Boysen and Luca Haren were also substituted, and Tonni Adamsen, Frederik Bay and Hans Christian ”Kritte” Bonnesen came on.
A few minutes later, Tonni Adamsen found Liam Jordan with a perfect through ball and Jordan made a sprint into Silkeborg's box, where his otherwise good finish was blocked at the last moment.
Silkeborg were constantly lurking for a chance to break away on one of their dangerous counters, and FC Helsingør dropped deeper on the pitch, trying to keep the ball in their own ranks and defend the lead.
But just before the clock reached the 90th minute, Silkeborg still managed to put the ball in the net. Nicklas Røjkjær received a ball at his feet a few meters outside the box, took one touch inside and shot the ball into the goal right by the post. Kevin Stuhr got a hand to it, but could not quite reach far enough to prevent the goal.
3-3 Silkeborg IF
In stoppage time, neither team managed to add to the score, and it was hard to argue with the draw in a match where both teams showed fine attacking play and had chances for more than three goals each. The next match is the last of the season, and it is already on Wednesday, when Esbjerg are the hosts.
FCH: K. Ellegaard, N. Mouritsen, N. Hansen (22’ Rejnhold), N. Geertsen, A Holst (69 H. C. Bonnesen), D. Norouzi, O. Kjærgaard, L. Jordan, McCowatt (36’ Eli Just) Haren (69’ F. Bay) D. Boysen (69’ T. Adamsen)
