Norwegian Cup 2021 Fourth Round, Saturday 12th March
My first game in Norway for over two years saw me at the
Oster Hus Arena for the very first time and saw a Tommy Hoiland brace help
hosts Sandnes Ulf to victory over IK Start and in doing so reach the Quarter
Finals of the Norwegian Cup for the very first time in their history.
I had been to the old Sandnes Stadion just behind (or in
front of depending on where you are looking) the new stadium, a new facility
that was built some two years ago but I had no idea about until visiting Norway
for the first time after over two years away due to Covid, so this was a nice
surprise and another Norwegian ground I could go and visit.
The new Oster Hus Arena holds just over 6,000, and the clubs
twitter account (@SandnesULF) tweeted me to say the record crowd had been 3,800
in October 2021 when local rivals Bryne FK visited, and they hope to break that
record when they welcome the same side for their First Division opener at the
beginning of April.
They were supposed to open the new ground on 13th
March 2020 to a sold-out stadium, but it was postponed due to the dreaded Covid-19.
It did eventually have its opening in June 2020, so it has been around for some
time, I just did not realise this!!! It is a world away from their old
athletics stadium just across the way and a much more aesthetically pleasing
venue, and although only around 1,000 bigger in capacity, it’s a vast
improvement it must be said.
My brother had kindly supplied the tickets for the game too,
a late Christmas gift as he put it, so that was nice, and to attend it with
himself was very special, and prior to the game I had also been to there new
house to see my niece Cassandra, nephew Caspian and also sister in law Boi-Boi,
so it had already been a great day even before a ball was kicked.
I would also like to say at this point a big thanks to
@Gaukereiret who are the supporters club of Sandnes Ulf for inviting me for a
drink or two before the game, but with me going to see my family before the
game, which as everyone can understand is what I wanted to do, then I had to
pass up the opportunity on this occasion, but thanks for the invite, it was
very nice of you to do so.
To the contest in hand then, and it was a Last 16 tie in
last season’s Norwegian Cup, yes you heard that right, last season’s
competition, which was halted after Round Three due to covid last season, and
is resuming in Round Four, with the following round next weekend to determine
who progresses into the Final Four of the competition.
This is of course still preseason for Norway with the actual
new league campaign not due to kick off until April 2nd, both
Sandnes Ulf and IK Start play in the First Division, known as the OBOS-ligaen,
so this game and next weekend’s game for the winner would be good preparation
going into their league campaigns for 2022. A quarter final berth was at stake,
so this was a big game for both before the season had even begun.
Shall we see how both sides got to this stage before the
competition was halted last year? Oh go on then…
Round One
Brodd 0 Sandnes Ulf 3 (A 33rd minute
goal from Ari Mohr Jonsson gave the visitors the half time lead, before second
half goals from Mathias Idsoe Bringaker and Maxwell Effiom sealed Ulf’s passage
into Round Two, the hosts ended the game with ten men after Idris Ahmed Omar
was sent off with two minutes to go)
Express 0 IK Start 8 (Start netted eight as they
cruised into Round Two, a brace from Adeleke Akimyemi, plus strikes from Eman
Markovic and Kristoffer Tonnesen had the visitors 4-0 up at the break, and they
added further goals from Erik Schulze, Markovic, Sander Sjokvist before
Akinyemi completed the scoring by netting his third of the contest and cap an
emphatic win)
Round Two
Akra 2 Sandnes Ulf 3 (aet) (Ulf were given an
almighty fright and needed extra time to see of Akra, Jonas Finne gave the
hosts the lead but and brace from Mathias Idsoe Bringaker saw Ulf lead 2-1 at
the break. It looked like that would be enough to take them through as well,
but Preben Fauskanger’s stoppage time leveller took the tie to extra time, but
Ulf won it with five minutes of the extra period to go through Jorgen Olsen
Overas. Daniel Aaraas was sent off for the hosts with three minutes to go as
their gallant effort ended in a sour way)
Vidar 0 IK Start 2 (A goal in each half was enough
for Start to see off Stavanger side Vidar, Eirik Schulze gave the visitors an
eleventh minute lead, but they did not make the tie safe until stoppage time
when hat-trick hero from Round One Adeleke Akinyemi netted a second for the
visitors)
Round Three
Moss 1 Sandnes Ulf 7 (Braces from Jostein Ekeland
and Maxwell Effiom helped Sandnes Ulf come from behind to thrash Moss, the host
stunned their opponents after a 15th minute penalty from Thomas
Klemetsen Jakobsen gave them the lead, but that was as good as it got for the
hosts as Ekeland, Michael Baidoo, Mathias Idsoe Bringaker and Erlend Hustad saw
the visitors 4-1 up at the break. Effion then netted either side of a Ekeland
strike to complete a comfortable evening for Ulf, setting up today’s tie
against Start)
IK Start 4 Mjondalen 2 (This was a First Division against
Eliteserien contest, and it was the First Division hosts who ended up winning
the game fairly convincingly to set up today’s contest. Mikal Ugland gave the
hosts the lead but were pegged back six minutes before the break when Issac
Twum netted for the visitors, but a devastating eight-minute spell in the
second half ended this contest, with Martin Ramsland netting just before the
hour mark and then Eman Markovic and Sander Sjokvist adding further goals soon
after to make it 4-1. Mjondalen did pull one back three minutes from time
through Magnus Bakken, but Start were the side to progress)
So, who would get the better of each other in this all First
Division contest then? IK Start had a lot of possession and created the better
opening in the first twenty minutes but saw keeper Falch produce a vital save
to keep the visitors out, the hosts did glance a header at goal down the other
end prior to this but it was easy for Jensen in the visitor’s goal, but midway
through the first period the deadlock was broken.
A long ball up to the edge of the visitor’s box was nodded
down by Martin Ramsland into the path of Hoiland and the hosts number ten
drilled a magnificent shot from outside the box beyond Jensen and into the
bottom corner of the net and get the home crowd on their feet, it was a really
good strike and it had given the home side the advantage.
Start continued to have more of the ball but they found the
home defence a tough nut to crack, they threatened to have some joy down the
flanks and got in down the right on more than one occasion, but good defending
thwarted the visitors efforts, and the hosts were happy to play counter
attacking football, and it was from one such break that they added a second
three minutes before the break to really get themselves into a really good position
in this tie.
Ringberg was sent clear down the right hand side and he drove
into the box and squared into the box were in looked certain the hosts would
slot home, but they somehow struck the effort against the post, however, whilst
we were all wondering how they had not scored, the follow up attempt struck a
defenders arm and a penalty was awarded, much to the annoyance of the several hundred
Start fans behind that goal.
Hoiland was given the chance to double his and Sandnes Ulf
tally for the afternoon, and after the ball had to be replaced on the spot due
to the wind blowing it off there, the Ulf number ten made no mistake in tucking
away the spot kick and duly celebrating in front of the away fans, which went
down well, and the hosts went into the break two goals to the good and looking
very handily placed for a first Quarter Final berth in their history.
The second half was pretty much like the first half, Start
having a lot of the ball but Sandnes standing firm and hitting them on the
counter, the hosts did almost add a third very early on in the second half but
saw Jensen claw away an effort superbly, but after this Start did a lot of probing
but whatever they tried they were either wasteful with their final ball or found
keeper Falch in the way or superb defending thwarting them.
Credit to the Start fans behind that goal though who more
than added to what was a terrific atmosphere inside the Arena, and a crowd of
2,630 was a very good effort indeed, tickets were only around a tenner for an
adult and half that price for juniors/OAPs, so good value indeed, and it only
added to what was an enjoyable day for most at least, unless you were from
Kristiansand of course, although it didn’t seem to bother those away supporters
behind the goal who was jumping around having fun.
Their team just could not give them something to cheer about
though and with more and more gaps appearing at the back as the visitors poured
forward in search for a route back into the contest, Ulf could and should have
sealed the contest, firstly breaking through but striking the post, again, before
Hoiland sent the rebound into the side netting searching for his hat-trick, and
then they prodded wide after good work on the right hand side.
Start had a great chance in stoppage time but saw Falch save
from point blank range, and then another effort was curled inches over as they
knew it just was not going to be their day, and it meant Sandnes Ulf could
celebrate a Last Eight berth in the cup for the first time. They had a game
plan today and stuck to it and made it work, so well played to them.
Sandnes Ulf now go onto play Eliteserien side Stromsgodset
in next weekend’s Quarter Final back at the Oster Hus Arena confident they can
pull of another win and potentially set up a home semi final against local
rivals Viking who are of course holders of the last completed competition in
2019, that would be something that is for sure, but exciting times for Sandnes
already before the 2022 season has even begun.
Full time Sandnes Ulf 2 IK Start 0
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