In a match that was marked more by defensive strength and restraint than by beautiful play, it was the ultimate downer that FC Helsingør ended up losing 1-0 in stoppage time in a game where they had the better of most of it.
The first ten minutes began with plenty of midfield play, and two teams that first needed to get a feel for each other a little. Nicolas Mortensen had a header over the goal after a free kick was swung into the box, but otherwise chances were scarce. Helsingør did, however, have a slight edge, and most of the play went in the direction of the Hobro goal.
There were several attempts at counters, but both teams were very alert in defence. We had to wait until the 26th minute
before the match opened up a little. First Matheus was close to getting through on Hobro's left side, but his fine pass into the box could not find a teammate. Immediately afterwards Hobro broke away in a counter the other way. The ball was played across, but debutant Aris Vaporakis in the Helsingør goal got down well and tipped Danny Olsen's effort wide of the post.
We had to wait until the 32th minute before Helsingør got their next chance. A corner was prolonged by Nicolas Mortensen, but Mikkel Basse could not steer the ball into the net.
38 minutes played: After a well-orchestrated build-up, Patrick Olsen played an excellent ball in behind for Nicolas Mortensen, but it only got past the first three Hobro players before being blocked just before the striker could break through decisively.
Helsingør were biting back at this stage of the match, and just a couple of minutes later Matheus Leiria got a somewhat fortunate opening in the box, but his powerful shot went just over the crossbar.
Time then ran out without any further big chances, and a tactical first half ended 0-0.
The second half started like the first. Both sides stood strong defensively, and both had trouble playing through the lines. We had to wait until the 51th minute before the first dangerous situation arose. Hobro got away on a counterattack after FCH lost the ball in midfield. Pål Kirkevold played sharply across, but an otherwise fairly free Danny Olsen completely mistimed the cross-ball, and the ball rolled harmlessly over the end line.
Three minutes later Nicolas Mortensen then got away one-on-one and was brought down from behind by Hobro's Amankwa right in front of Kronborgs Drenge, who appealed strongly for a red card. But referee Morten Krogh chose only to pull out the yellow card. From the resulting free kick Søren Henriksen got highest to the ball, but his header went a good way over the goal.
With a little under an hour on the clock Helsingør were attacking. Mathias ”Malte” played a magnificent diagonal ball from midfield that landed perfectly at Frederik Bay's feet; the wing-back cut inside with a clever touch and let fly, but the finish did not match the dribble, and the ball went a good distance wide.
After that the tempo dropped a little again, and we had to wait until the 69th minute before Helsingør fashioned their next chance. A lively Adnan Mohammad dribbled past three men on the left flank and laid the ball back diagonally. TK got on the ball and shot from distance, but again the ball sailed harmlessly over the goal.
A couple of minutes later Helsingør had their biggest chance so far. A well-delivered corner found Nicolas Mortensen, who headed hard and downward by the book, but the ball went just wide of the post.
Eight uneventful minutes later it was Daniel Jørgensen's turn to get highest to yet another well-delivered corner, but his header also failed to stay on target.
After 83 minutes it was close to going wrong for FC Helsingør. From a dangerous set piece Sebastian Grønning rose highest in the box, but his powerful header was strongly tipped over the goal by Aris Vaporakis, who had a really good Superliga debut.
But in the 91th minute the script was broken for the home side. Hobro's Edgar Babayan went on a surge down the right flank and delivered a hard cross, which sailed up into the opposite top corner.
1-0 Hobro
A heavy fate for an otherwise strong Helsingør defence that the goal had to come in stoppage time. FCH tried to mount one last attacking push, but time was too short and ran out without further scoring. An undeserved defeat of the harsh kind.
FCH: Vaporakis, Johannsen, S. Henriksen, Jørgensen, Basse, P. Olsen, Kähler, Mohammad, Bay, Leiria, Mortensen.
Substitutes: R. Olsen, Holst, Akharraz
Photo Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
