It was an energized Helsingborg team with several old acquaintances from Danish football on the pitch that on Monday evening hosted FC Helsingør in the match for the “Øresund Cup”. Anders Lindegaard, Brandur Hendriksson and Rasmus Jönsson all started for Helsingborg, while Helsingør fielded a thin squad, among others without Daniel Norouzi, Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard and Tonni Adamsen, who were all rested. Even so, the match was played at high tempo, and with good moments from both teams.
Less than five minutes had been played when FCH came close for the first time. A corner kick was sent into the six-yard box, where a bigger scramble ended with an FCH foot sending the ball toward goal, but on the line a Helsingborg player came in and lifted the ball over the goal.
But after eight minutes of play it was the home side that got on the scoreboard. A Helsingborg player was brought down about ten meters outside the box on the right side. The free kick was struck sharply across, and at the far post Helsingborg captain Anthony van den Hurk got in front and with an outstretched instep he directed the ball high into the opposite corner, just beyond the reach of FCH goalkeeper Christoffer Petersen.
1-0 Helsingborgs IF
The home side had the better of play for the first twenty minutes, although FC Helsingør also managed to threaten a couple of times, without it really becoming dangerous. In the 20th minute FCH won a corner, which Frederik Juul sent in well. Centrally Nicolai Geertsen rose up, but the big center-back was unlucky and crashed heads with a Helsingborg player. Geertsen had to go to the touchline for several minutes to stop a nosebleed.
That gave Helsingborg a good opportunity, as suddenly space opened up centrally and Max Svensson broke through on a good through ball. Christoffer Petersen kept his cool, however, and stayed on his feet. Svensson shot, but Petersen was able to block with a good foot save.
Just as the clock reached the half-hour mark Helsingborg extended the lead. Max Svensson once again lurked for a through ball, and when it came, Svensson just beat the offside trap. Svensson got past Petersen, who again stayed on his feet, but this time it was Svensson who kept his cool, and the Helsingborg striker calmly placed the ball past Petersen from a tight angle and into the net.
2-0 Helsingborgs IF
Unfortunately Nicolai Geertsen could not continue, and Oliver Drost came on on the wing, from where Frederik Bay was moved down into defence.
After 35 minutes it was agonizingly close for FC Helsingør. Peter Buch Christiansen had started as the central striker in today's match, and the loanee from SønderjyskE received a good ball from Oliver Kjærgaard in behind. Christiansen moved toward goal, and from a position about five meters outside the box Christiansen unleashed a thunderous shot at the Helsingborg goal. The ball hit the underside of the post, bounced down on the line, and back out into the box. Centimeters away from Buch Christiansen opening his goal account for FCH.
FC Helsingør had pushed the press higher up the pitch after the goal to 2-0, and shortly afterwards Liam Jordan and Philip Rejnhold produced neat one-touch play down the right side, which ended with a good cross to the far post from Rejnhold. Nicklas Mouritsen was ready there, but Mouritsen could not direct his header downward, and the ball went over the goal.
It was FC Helsingør that had most of the play heading into the break, but the big chances did not come, and the two teams could go into halftime after a fairly even first half, where the difference had been a home side that was sharper with its chances.
The second half was barely four minutes old before Helsingborg had their first big chance. Van den Hurk took a ball down well, and although he was closely marked by Nikolaj Hansen and Frederik Bay, the big striker still managed to send a good shot toward the FCH goal. The ball hit the crossbar and went back into play, and then it stood 1-1 for the teams on that count.
Three minutes later Oliver Kjærgaard had a ball played into his feet from substitute Oliver Drost, and Kjærgaard took a couple of fine touches past two opponents and entered the box. There the midfielder tried to curl it over Anders Lindegaard in the Helsingborg goal, but Kjærgaard's shot had a little too much power and went over the goal.
It was the home side that started the half clearly best, and Helsingborg managed to move the ball well around FCH's press. After just over an hour Helsingborg got a huge chance when Kasper Enghardt got a foot to a cross. Enghardt mishit the ball, and it landed right at Anthony van den Hurk's feet at the edge of the six-yard box, but Christoffer Petersen just managed to block the striker's shot with an excellent foot save. Huge save by the stand-in goalkeeper.
This was followed by a period where both teams dropped the tempo a bit, and several players were substituted. For FC Helsingør, U19 player Alexander Lyng and Dalton Wilkins came on. FCH managed to get a better grip on the ball, and also managed to send Sebastian Czajkowski through once, but from a good position near the byline the striker could not turn his cross in toward Oliver Kjærgaard centrally in the box, and Helsingborg could clear.
In the 82th minute Helsingborg's well-playing right-back Ravy Tsuka sent a sharp cross across FCH's box, and centrally it was again close that Anthony van den Hurk could get a foot on it, but this time the striker was not alert enough, and the ball flashed all the way through the box without being touched.
FC Helsingør kept pushing, and in the 89th minute they were rewarded for their efforts. A good counterattack led to Oliver Drost being able to receive a sharp pass at his feet from Sebastian Czajkowski out on the right side. Drost put the turbo on, moved past two men, and blasted the ball into the net high and hard with no chance for Andres Lindegaard. Great goal by Drost, and good counterplay from FCH.
Nothing else happened in the match, and after two minutes of added time FC Helsingør had to hand over the traveling trophy in the Øresund Cup to the Swedes, after having won the last two head-to-head meetings.
FCH: C. Petersen (M), N. Hansen(A) (61 D. Wilkins), K. Enghardt, N. Geetsen (’30 O. Drost), N. Mouritsen, F. Juul Christensen, O. Kjærgaard (80 P. Buch Christiansen (re-entered)), P. Rejnhold, F. Bay, P. Buch Christiansen (45 S. Czajkowski), L. Jordan (72 Alexander Lyng)
