FC Helsingør took a secure win Sunday afternoon against Slagelse at Harboe Arena. The victory was never in danger in a match where FC Helsingør dominated possession for the vast majority of the time, and also ended up leading the chance statistics by a wide margin.
It had not been more than a minute and a half before FC Helsingør went up 1-0. Slagelse had won a free kick outside FCH’s box, but the ball into the box was caught by Christoffer Petersen. He quickly restarted play, and an FCH player headed the ball forward toward Kjær and Mortensen up front. One of the Slagelse defenders was busy getting in behind Jeppe Kjær, so Nicolas Mortensen could bring the ball down in front of his marker and start running toward goal with two men on his back. When Mortensen entered the box, he finished calmly and precisely toward the far corner, past goalkeeper Oliver Foss, and the ball hit the post and went in. A counterattack exactly according to the textbook.
0-1 FC Helsingør
The next five minutes were clearly in FCH’s favor, and Dalton Wilkins had a shot against the post after a scramble in the box.
After eight minutes of play Mortensen was on the scoresheet again. Lucas Haren drifted out to the right side and was brought down by a Slagelse player a meter outside the box. Nicolas Mortensen stepped up to the ball and coolly sent the free kick around the wall and in by the near post.
0-2 FC Helsingør
The second goal made FC Helsingør slow the pace a little, and play shifted to the middle for both teams, without Slagelse becoming significantly more dangerous for it. Until the half-hour mark neither side really created any chances, and FCH were happy to play the ball around in their own ranks, and look for a counter, which Slagelse did not really allow.
When we reached the half-hour mark, the match came a bit more alive. Anders Holst drove forward through the middle on his own and finished from a position a meter or so outside the box, but his shot went past the post. Shortly after, Holst found Jeppe Kjær in the center of the goal three meters outside the box, and Kjær sent a thunderous shot toward goal, which Oliver Foss tipped over the crossbar.
After 39 minutes, however, Slagelse got a golden chance to reduce the deficit. Nicolaj Hansen mistimed a tackle in his own box and brought down Christoffer Thrane. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Thrane took the penalty himself and put it safely in via the right post with no chance for Christoffer Petersen in goal.
1-2 Slagelse B&I
Three minutes later Anders Holst, after a good counterattack, sent a ball into the box to Nicolas Mortensen with a fine through ball. A Slagelse player got in behind Mortensen, who went down, but the referee waved play on, to great frustration for Nicolas Mortensen.
There was no more action in the first half, and FC Helsingør had to go to halftime after having let Slagelse back into the match just before the break.
FCH came out best after the break and put good pressure on the Slagelse goal. Four minutes into the half, Lucas Haren got the ball on the right side and played it across the box. Jeppe Kjær laid it off, and Anders Holst finished, but just over the goal.
After 57 minutes Christoffer Petersen played a long ball forward. Nicolas Mortensen won his duel in midfield and laid the ball on to Anders Holst. Holst slipped it through to Jeppe Kjær, but the linesman raised the flag, as he judged that Kjær had strayed offside. Hard to see from the stands.
After just over an hour of play Dalton Wilkins recovered a ball in a developing Slagelse counterattack. He played it to Anders Holst, who drove and on the left side played a cross toward Lucas Haren, who stood completely alone in the middle of goal. Haren looked like someone who had not quite seen how free he was, and he overdid it and headed the ball past goal.
Two minutes later Nicolas Mortensen was close again after a corner kick, when from a lying position he got his foot to a ball in the six-yard box. But a Slagelse defender managed to put in a saving block. It was certainly FCH who controlled the game in this phase, and Slagelse had plenty to do just defending.
After 70 minutes, Slagelse got their biggest chance so far. A Slagelse player fooled his man on the left side and got to the byline, then played a sharp cross in. Christoffer Petersen had to stretch as high as he possibly could to get a touch on the ball before the Slagelse attacker who was right behind him. Petersen managed to tip the ball down to the ground and could claim it. Big chance for Slagelse.
Five minutes later Nicolas Mortensen was close again. Lucas Haren delivered a good cross centrally, where Mortensen rose highest and beat the goalkeeper with his powerful header. Unfortunately it was a little too far out, and the ball hit the post and bounced back into play. Otherwise a model attack from FCH.
With 79 minutes on the clock it was close for FCH again. Lucas Haren broke up a Slagelse counterattack and found Jonas Henriksen. Henriksen played it through to Haren again, and when Lucas Haren reached the box he played a fine cross into the middle in front of goal. There it was close to Jeppe Kjær putting it away, but goalkeeper Foss blocked. On the rebound the ball dropped down to Jonas Henriksen’s feet, who had moved into the box. But Jeppe Kjær and Jonas Henriksen almost ran into each other, and Henriksen’s finish was straight at Foss.
But in the 84th minute FC Helsingør struck the knife in. Lucas Haren got away again and delivered a superb cross. In front of goal Jeppe Kjær rose highest and headed at goal. His header hit the post, but struck goalkeeper Foss in the back and bounced off Foss’s back into the net.
1-3 FC Helsingør
Slagelse tried to establish some pressing play toward the end of the match, but could not break down FCH’s lines, and so the Helsingør players could head home northbound with a secure 3-1 victory in the boot.
FCH: Petersen, Wilkins, Holm (’87 R. Olsen), Hansen, Holst (Lange ’73), Norouzi, F. Christensen, Haren, Kjær (89 E. Just), Mortensen
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
