FC Helsingør's 11 selected players got the best possible start when Ricki Olsen played a long ball forward to André Riel, who struck first time at the chance and hit the ball with a dream strike and hammered it in behind Randers' goalkeeper, Hannes Halldorsson, with an unstoppable half-volley of high, high class.
1-0 FC Helsingør
The gut punch shook the rather point-hungry Randers side, and already five minutes later Mikkel Basse came close to scoring when he decisively finished at the edge of the box, but unfortunately for the midfield dynamo the ball went just wide of the post.
After that, Randers worked their way more into the match, though without the Kronjylland side managing to create any really big chances. It was thus more than half an hour into the match before they truly became dangerous, but then it also required an excellent save with the foot from Mikkel Bruhn to keep the Helsingør goal clean from Marcus Mølvadgaard's dangerous shot.
Nicolas Mortensen had earned a starting spot, and he repaid it with a good performance and showed several samples of his shooting power. Right before the break, the Helsingør striker thus had two good chances that, against a less sharp goalkeeper, would have resulted in goals. But despite a slight edge and a good half, FCH had to "settle" for going into the break ahead 1-0.
From the start of the second half, Randers FC pressed more and put the home team under pressure in the first quarter of an hour. They also created some decent finishing chances, but a strong Mikkel Bruhn, and a Helsingør defense that by then really did look well coordinated, shut down most of what Randers had to offer.
Helsingør were best on the counter during this period, and André Riel, with a few clever touches, freed himself in the 63th minute, but his touch was too heavy and ended up with the Randers goalkeeper instead.
Adnan Mohammad was substituted in instead of Anders Holst after 65 minutes, and the lively dribbler showed several times the ability on the ball he performs so well. After just 70 minutes, he was involved in a strong build-up with Søren Henriksen and Mikkel Basse, which led to a free kick in a dangerous position when Søren Henriksen was brought down some way outside the box. André Riel's otherwise fine set piece, however, unfortunately ended up straight in the goalkeeper's arms.
By this point the wind had died down a little for the opponents from Randers, and Helsingør moved the ball around intelligently, constantly looking for the counter that one had a feeling would settle the match.
Randers were only dangerous in flashes, and came closest when substitute Saba Lobjanidze curled a ball toward the corner, but it only kissed the crossbar.
Instead, FCH finally managed to put the game to bed in the 83th minute, when André Riel outfoxed his former teammate Kasper Enghardt in the Randers defense, and, all alone with goalkeeper Halldorson, calmly placed his shot past him.
2-0 FC Helsingør
After that, the Helsingør players could calmly let the clock run down, and in fact they were closer to 3-0 than Randers were to a reduction, but a sharp Riel shot in stoppage time went just wide.
Shortly after, the referee's whistle sounded for the final time, and that it had been a hard-fought victory could be seen on the handful of FCH players who let themselves tumble about in the grass from exhaustion at the final whistle. But the smiles they could not take from them on a warm evening, adorned with three even warmer Superliga points.
Starting lineup: Bruhn, S. Henriksen, Holm, Fisch, Johannsen, Olsen, Basse, Köhler, Holst, Mortensen, Riel.
Substitutes: A. Mohammad, J. Henriksen, Bay.
Referee Mads Kristoffer-Kristoffersen
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
