It ended in a draw after Sunday’s well-played match against Fredericia was blown off. Especially in the first half, FCH were the better team, but despite a number of good chances and even a missed penalty, FCH could not claim the win.
The match started as a fairly even exchange, but after five minutes it was Fredericia who got the first chance. A good raid down the right flank led to a low cross, but in front of goal Pascal Gregor was alert and cleared the ball away.
Just over ten minutes in, FC Helsingør won a corner. A well-delivered ball came all the way into the middle in front of goal, but Douglas could not get proper contact on it, and the ball went just over the crossbar.
With 16 minutes on the clock, FCH had their best chance so far. Douglas cleverly laid the ball off to Mikkel Basse with his heel. Basse found Nicolas Mortensen on the edge of the box with a through ball, but under heavy pressure from two defenders the striker could not find the target, and his shot went over the goal. Good build-up play from FC Helsingør.
Ten minutes later, it was close again. Patient build-up play in FCH’s midfield created an opening for Douglas on the left side of the Fredericia box, and the big striker played the ball across the area. At the far post, Nicolas Mortensen got in front of his man, but his finish went just wide. A big chance for FC Helsingør.
Just as the clock reached the half-hour mark, Frederik Bay came close. He won the ball himself on the left side and cut in toward the middle in front of goal. With two Fredericia players on his back, he got just inside the edge of the box and unleashed a left-footed shot. The powerful effort forced Fredericia goalkeeper Alexander Nybo into a brilliant save, and only with the tips of his fingers did he manage to tip the ball wide of the goal. A superb action by an in-form Frederik Bay.
After 40 minutes of play, Fredericia had their biggest chance so far. A corner was perfectly whipped in by Christian Sørensen, and at the far post Fredericia’s Sonny Nattestad rose highest of all, but fortunately his header sailed over the goal. A big chance for the visitors.
But despite FC Helsingør having the upper hand for most of the first 45 minutes, nobody could break the deadlock in the first half, so the teams went into the dressing room with the same score on the board as when they had run out. 0-0.
Barely two minutes had been played before FC Helsingør got a whole series of chances. First Matheus broke through on the right side and sent in a fine cross toward Douglas, who, however, could not reach the ball. As Matheus made the pass, he was clattered by a Fredericia player, and the referee blew for the advantage after the fact. From the free kick Nicolas Mortensen rose highest, but his header was saved on the line. In the ensuing scramble in the box, Pascal Gregor was brought down in the area, and the referee awarded a penalty. Matheus stepped up to the ball. The Brazilian placed his shot wide, but Nybo guessed the correct side and pushed the ball away right by the post.
The missed penalty took a bit of the wind out of FC Helsingør’s sails, but after 64 minutes Patrick Olsen came close. The ball was moved forward through the middle and ended up with the midfielder, who took a chance from distance from just 25 meters out. The shot had a nice bend to it, but went just over the junction of the post and crossbar.
We had to wait until the 70th minute before Fredericia got their first big chance in the second half. A corner was cleared out of the box, where a Fredericia player got to the ball first. He played a fine ball in behind to a teammate, who also got his head to it. But the linesman had raised the flag before Mikkel Bruhn collected the ball.
After 78 minutes, Nicolas Mortensen was close again. A throw-in was headed on by Patrick Olsen, and Nicolas Mortensen struck the ball from 30 meters. Nybo was out of his goal, but just managed to get his hands to the dipping shot. Otherwise it would have been a contender for goal of the year, but Nybo had other ideas.
Fredericia dropped deeper and deeper as the half wore on, and Lucas Lodberg and Lucas Haren were both brought on in an attempt to change the pattern of the game.
FC Helsingør worked frantically to force the decisive chance, but Fredericia sat very deep and were well organized at the back. Time ran out for the hard-working Helsingør side, and thus the match ended as it had started, with both teams able to take a point back to the dressing room when the final whistle blew, something Fredericia could clearly be most satisfied with.
FCH: Bruhn, Gregor, Henriksen, Holm, Bay, Köhler, Olsen, Matheus (’77 Haren), Basse, Douglas (’73 Lodberg), Mortensen
Photo: Claus Birch, clausbirch.dk
