It was only one point in a very eventful match against FA2000 at Frederiksberg Idrætspark, as FC Helsingør had travelled to Copenhagen on Saturday. Young Eli Just equalised for FC Helsingør shortly before full time, to great jubilation from the 250+ travelling FCH fans, who were a tremendous support for their team throughout the match.
Jeppe Kjær made his debut in the FCH shirt, and there were two more possible debutants in the squad, as Elijah ”Eli” Dalton and Dalton Wilkins were both on the bench.
It had not been played more than 48 seconds before FCH had their first effort. Anders Holst started on the left wing in today's match, and he made a good run up the pitch before sending a shot on goal. However, FA2000's goalkeeper was in position and got down over the ball. A fine start from one of the most experienced players in the squad.
In fact, FC Helsingør were responsible for most of the action in the first five minutes. FA2000 had trouble keeping up with the quick Helsingør attackers. After seven minutes, Ricki Olsen twice came close to finding Nicolas Mortensen in front of goal, but they could not get the ball over the line. Two minutes later it came even closer, as Frederik Bay shot on goal from a tight angle, and it was centimetres away from Mortensen being able to follow up centrally and put the ball over the line.
We had to wait until the 12th minute before FA2000 got into FCH's box. A good cross from the right found an unmarked man on the far side of the box, and at the last moment Ricki Olsen managed to block it. The good move gave FA2000 confidence, and a minute later Christoffer Petersen had to produce a superb save, as FA2000 suddenly had Al-Atlassi standing free at a tight angle in FCH's box. The attacker finished from right by the near post, but Petersen made an acrobatic outstretched leg save. A great stop by the young keeper.
When we reached the 16th minute, Jeppe Kjær had his first big chance. After a corner, the ball was cleared out into the box, where the experienced striker hit a low drive between friends and foes. Unfortunately for him and FCH, the hard shot struck the underside of the crossbar and went over the goal. An opportunistic move by Jeppe Kjær, who deserved a better fate.
After that, FA2000 turned up the pressure a little. The home side first had a good effort after a scramble, which Nikolaj Hansen had to clear off the line. And shortly after, FA2000 managed to score. Their dangerous attacking player Al-Atlassi suddenly found himself clear in the box when a ball found him, and he struck it low into the net right by the right-hand post.
1-0 FA2000
After 21 minutes of play, Bay got a shot away once again. The left-back had pushed up into midfield and got the ball in stride towards goal. He finished low, but FA2000's goalkeeper got down brilliantly and tipped the ball past the post with a great save. From the ensuing corners, FCH had two efforts cleared off the line by the hard-working FA2000 defenders. It smelled of a goal for the visitors.
But FA2000 held firm, and despite a couple of respectable long-range efforts from Frederik Christensen, it was not really dangerous from FCH for the next quarter of an hour.
We thus reached the 37th minute before FCH became dangerous again. Holst made a good run up the pitch and again finished after the long corner. But unfortunately his shot was again blocked by an FA2000 foot and went wide. Three minutes later TK had a shot from centrally. Lucas Haren had moved inside the box and tried to find a teammate, and the cleared ball fell to TK just outside the box. He tried to shoot into the upper left corner of the goal, but the shot went just past the post.
Just before the break, FC Helsingør won a free kick on the left side of the pitch. It was struck sharply in front of goal, where Jonas Henriksen rose highest of all, but his header arced over goal. That was as far as we got before half-time, and FC Helsingør had to go into the dressing room behind 1-0.
The second half began with two big chances, one for each team. First it was Anders Holst and Jeppe Kjær who were close to combining through in FA2000's box, and on the following counterattack one of FA2000's attackers was close to being able to slot it in by the left post again, but this time the shot went wide.
Five minutes into the half, TK found an advancing Ricki Olsen with a good through ball out to the right. Ricki sent a good ball into the box, where Nicolas Mortensen was marked and could not direct the ball in with his head. TK had joined the box and finished, but wide. Two minutes later, Jeppe Kjær had a good chance when the ball dropped to him in FA2000's box, but he too sent the ball over the goal.
FA2000 sat very deep from the start of the second half, and FC Helsingør played the ball around in front of their lines in an attempt to find openings. Jeppe Kjær got another chance when he received a good ball about 20 metres from goal, but there was no way through in front of goal, and he had to try a long shot that sent the ball over the goal.
As we reached an hour of play, FCH had their biggest chance so far. Anders Holst received the ball at his feet five metres outside the box and sent a superb diagonal cross towards Nicolas Mortensen, who had got into the box, and promptly shot on goal. The shot hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down just on the wrong side of the goal line, to the great frustration of the many FCH fans who had seen it go in.
FCH tried to string together passing sequences that could open FA2000's defence, but the home side sat deep and defended well. It became most dangerous when Holst or Bay got the ball on the left side, where they several times reached the byline, but each time FA2000 managed to get a saving foot in.
After 72 minutes, the coaching staff brought on the two New Zealanders Eli Just and Dalton Wilkins in place of Ricki Olsen and Frederik Christensen in an attempt to add some fresh legs to the team. It would later prove to be a good idea.
FA2000 barely got over the halfway line in this phase of the match, and we had to wait until the 82th minute before FCH had their next big chance. Bay won a corner, and from Holst's fine delivery it was more than close for Nicolas Mortensen to head FCH's equaliser in, but his powerful header went just wide of the far post. Douglas was brought on immediately after, and it was very close that in his first action he could find Nikolaj Hansen in front of goal with a fine cross, but again an FA2000 foot got in the way.
But in the 87th minute, FCH finally managed to break through FA2000's defence. Douglas won a header in the box from a cross, and found the smallest player on the pitch, Elijah Just, who headed the ball past FA2000's goalkeeper.
1-1 FC Helsingør
One minute before the end, Jonas Henriksen got the ball on the right side and sent it in to Douglas at the near post. The Brazilian tried to turn the ball in, but FA2000's goalkeeper was alert and made the save. The next minute it was even closer, as the FCH cross number 10.000 in the match ended up with Nicolas Mortensen, who headed towards goal. Douglas stood on the line, but the goalkeeper was ready again and tipped the ball over. However, Douglas had also strayed into an offside position.
In stoppage time, FCH tried to press high, and after a cross from Elijah Just the ball hit an FA2000 defender on the arm. The referee waved play on, much to the frustration of Helsingør's players, staff and fans, who felt they should have had a clear penalty. But it remained 1-1 in a very eventful and somewhat chaotic match, as the referee soon after blew for full time.
The next match will be the first home game at the new Helsingør Stadium. It is against Avarta on Friday the 16/08, and it is at 19.00.
FCH: Petersen, Bay (Douglas ’84), Henriksen, Hansen, Olsen (’72 Wilkins), Holst, Christensen (’72 E. Just), Kristensen, Haren, Kjær, Mortensen.
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
