Southend United 2 Harlow Town 4

Essex Senior Cup 3rd Round, Tuesday 28th October 2014

Ryman North leaders Harlow Town put in a superb performance to dump League Two side Southend United out of the third round of the Essex Senior Cup at Roots Hall.  The Blues were fielding a relatively strong side including Jack Payne but the non leagers started the better and created three of four good chances before they took the lead on 19 minutes when Dave Cowley whipped in a free kick for Alex Read to glance home past Ted Smith.  This spurred Southend into life briefly and they levelled two minutes later when Jack Payne cut onto his left foot before bending a curling effort in of the bar from just inside the area for a cracking strike.  Harlow continued to carve out the chances though and missed two golden chances to re take the lead and they were made to pay for these misses when the Blues took the lead four minutes before the break when Coulthirst turned his marker and slotted the ball under Edward Thompson.  Southend finshed the half stronger and missed a couple of chances to increase their lead before the half time whistle.  The second half left of where the first half ended with the home side missing a hat trick of opportunities although Harlow were still a danger going forward.  Harlow then hit the bar as they began to assert pressure on the Blues defence and it was no surprise when they levelled the tie once again when a looping ball fell to James Smith on the edge of the box and his first time volley flew past Smith into the corner for a quality strike.  Harlow were dominant again and two minutes later they re took the lead when Alex Read's sliced volley looped over Smith from the angle into the opposite corner of the net to send the Harlow fanatics near me wild with delight and then six minutes from time a throw on caught out a sleepy defence and the ball was squared to Dave Cowley who finished first time past Smith from twelve yards out to seal the deal and give Harlow a very impressive victory indeed.

Viking 1 Aalesund 2

Norwegian Tippeligaen, Sunday 26th October 2014

My final game in Norway for this season saw me end up at local Premier Division (Tippeligaen as it's known here in Norway) side Viking at their Viking Stadion for a match against Aalesund.  Viking haven't won for over two months and are the draw specialists of the league having drawn twelve of their 27 games.  Aalesund have had another season flirting with relegation until the last few weeks where they have got themselves out of trouble.  The home side actually started the better and should of been ahead on the quarter hour but for a mistimed header at the back post they would of been.  Aalesund then took over and had two or three minutes of pressure and on 19 minutes broke through when a corner towards the back post was headed back across goal by Leke James and the ball looped over everyone and into the corner for a 1-0 lead.  Five minutes later the same combo produced another header from James at the back post with Viking's defence all at sea and Aalesund had a 2-0 lead all of a sudden.  Aalesund were now totally in control and looked like they could slice the home defence open at will but Viking managed to get through to the half at 0-2.   The second half started pretty much like the first, with Viking trying to force a way back into the game while Aalesund kept catching them on the counter and but for keeper Austbø making some smart saves the visitors would of been out of sight.  On 61 minutes a moment of confusion when another scramble in Viking's box resulted in Aalesund skipper Daniel Arnefjord blasting the ball into the roof of the net and a 3-0 lead for the visitors, or so they thought, as the referee and linesman decided to then disallow the goal, possibly for offside, but to be honest no one was sure!!!   Viking almost found a way back into the contest on 65 minutes when de Lanlay's cross was headed against the bar by Nisja but Viking were having that sort of day in front of goal.  Aalesund continued to look a threat every time they went near Viking's goal as the home defence seemed to panic at every attack and were heavily reliant on keeper Austbø being in such good form.  With ten minutes to go a lifeline was handed to Viking when a free kick whipped in wasn't dealt with by keeper Grytebust and left a simple tap in for Sverrir Ingi Ingason to breathe life into the home side.  Aalesund had further chances to kill the game but it was Viking who had the best two with minutes remaining, first a shot deflected just over the bar and then from that corner in the 90th minute centre back Sverrir Ingi Ingason powered a header just over the Aalesund bar.  It should of been 2-2 although that would of been unjust on Aalesund who held on to deservedly pick up the three points and send the majority of the 10,750 crowd home disappointed.

FK Vidar 6 FK Fyllingsdalen 0

Norwegian Second Division Group Three, Saturday 25th October 2014

For my penultimate game of my Norway Football Tour I visited Lassa Gress, home of local side FK Vidar as they played their final game of the season at home to FK Fyllingsdalen.  Vidar have had a decent season and sit 4th while the visitors were ninth only five points behind, showing how close the league had been.  In a decent opening quarter both sides created chances although the home side definitely shaded proceedings and on 25 minutes they opened the scoring when a long ball skipped off the wet surface deceiving the defender allowing Eirik Jakobsen in and he took a touch before slotting past the keeper.  The visitors did create a couple more chances as they threatened to get back on level terms but suffered a blow on 38 minutes when their winger limped off injured.  He had been the main source of Fyllingsdalen attacks and after he went off their threat going forward near enough vanished.  Three minutes before half time Vidar doubled their lead as a poor defensive header came out to Petter Lunde who took a touch before firing past the keeper from eighteen yards out.  Vidar came out all guns blazing in the second half and on 52 minutes made it 3-0 when a long range effort came back off the underside of the bar and the defence stood like statues as Eirik Jakobsen followed up by chesting the ball down and smashing home from two yards.  Seven minutes later it was four and as easy as you like when a great ball into the box was acrobatically volleyed home by Lasse Ihle.  Fyllingsdallen actually had a bit more possession at this stage as Vidar took the foot of the gas a little although the visitors attacking threat was virtually non exsistant.  On 70 minutes Vidar decided they fancied another goal and played a ball through to Eirik Jakobsen who chipped over the advancing keeper beautifully, exhibition style, to make it 5-0.  On 78 minutes Vidar sliced through a non exsistant Fyllingsdalen defence again when Eirik Jakobsen's ball across the penalty area found its way to Preben Erland who had all the time in the world to pick his spot and fire past the helpless keeper for 6-0.  Vidar almost added a couple more in the last few minutes but settled for six and a nice way to end the season.  For Fyllingsdalen they will be glad the season is over after this abject display.

Madla IL 5 Voll 1

Norwegian Fourth Division Rogaland Three, Friday 24th October 2014

My third game of my latest Norwegian tour took me to another local Stavanger side Madla IL as they were going for promotion to the Third Division, Norway's fourth tier in the pyramid, in the final round of the season.  They started on the front foot and to be honest never really let up as they totally dominated the game.  They took a deserved lead on 14 minutes when the visiting keeper's goal kick went straight to Madla's nine and he rounded the keeper before slotting home.  The home side continued to create chance after chance but failed to covert any of them.  Madla's keeper had virtually no touches of the ball in the first half as all the play was up the other end.  Madla finally doubled their lead seven minutes into the second half when a great crossfield pass was knocked into the box were seven finished well in off the post.  More chances were missed by the home side before Voll managed a proper effort on goal on 68 minutes when they headed wide but Madla should of been well out of sight at this stage.  A third goal did eventually arrive on 73 minutes courtesy of a powerful header from a corner kick but Madla seemed to have taken their foot off the gas slightly at this stage as the rain began to fall and with twelve to go Voll managed their only shot on target from the edge of the box and this ended in the corner for 3-1.   The next few minutes saw Voll have their only sustained pressure on the home side but on 82 minutes Madla broke out in devastating fashion and the ball was duly squared to seven who took a touch before firing past the keeper.  Madla rounded off the scoring by grabbing a fifth on 89 minutes thanks to another close range header from a corner and the full time whistle sparked jubilant scenes from the home players, management and fans as they had realised there dream of promotion and go up to Division Three next season.

Randaberg 0 Kopervik 1

Norwegian Third Division Group Six, Saturday 18th October 2014

For my second game of the October Norway tour I wound up at a very wet and windy Randaberg Stadion for a Third Division match between Randaberg and Kopervik.  Seeing as this was 5th against 4th in the league and the penultimate game of each teams season this was always going to be a tight affair.  The conditions didn't make for a great spectacle as the swirling wind and rain made playing any sort of football difficult but the home side created the better chances in the first half hour, flashing a couple of balls across the face of goal and also having a shot from distance go just wide.  The visitors struggled to create anything of note, that was until the 33rd minute when a cross from full back Van Le caught the wind as it was heading harmlessly towards goal and the keeper went to catch the cross and the ball slipped from his grasp and he and the ball fell over the line.  It was harsh on the home side who had made most of the running.  The second half continued in the same vein as Randaberg had a few sights of goal but they failed to test the keeper and they dominated possession restricting Kopervik to one or two breakaways which came to nothing.  The only time Randaberg did test the keeper was from a downward header from a cross but most other crosses into the box, of which there were a few, were repelled by the Kopervik back four.  You could call this away win a smash n grab although it wasn't as clear cut as that, but certainly Randaberg would have felt hard done by to have lost this game 1-0.  It was a frustrating afternoon for them in what was their final home game of the season.

Stavanger IF 2 Havorn 6

Norwegian Fourth Division, Rogaland Two - Friday 17th October 2014

My first game of this current Norwegian Tour started at SIF Stadion, home of Stavanger IF who took on local side Havord, who come from Tananger, a suburb of Stavanger.  The home side have struggled this season and had the worst defensive record in the league with 84 goals conceded in 21 games played.  Havorn sat 4th after a more than solid season so an away win looked likely.  It took the visitors only 4 minutes to break the deadlock when a long throw was laid back to Andreas Dale who smashed the ball past the keeper.  They could of been three up inside ten minutes as they squandered further chances to score.  On 24 minutes Havorn's keeper had to leave the field after an earlier collision with a Stavanger forward so one of the outfield players had to don the gloves for the remainder of the game.  On 28 minutes Havorn doubled their lead when a cross into the box was chested down by Sander Nilsen before he smacked the ball past the keeper for 0-2.  Stavanger hadn't created anything of note, that was until the half hour when they ran through and scored to reduce the deficit, which was a surprise as they hadn't been in the game at all.  The away side should have been out of sight in all honesty but were wasteful in front of goal.  However the second half saw Stavanger on the front foot as Havorn failed to get going and on 52 minutes the home side levelled from the penalty spot after a foul inside the box and they so nearly took the lead four minutes later when a free kick from 40 odd yards out rattled the goal frame with the keeper totally beaten.  After this though Havorn took the lead on 58 minutes with their first attack of the second half when a long throw was flicked across goal by the defence allowing Ole Andre Myklebust to head home from inside the six yard box to make it 2-3.  Havord made it 2-4 four minutes later when a breakaway found Ole Andre Myklebust through on goal and he composed himself before firing past the keeper.  Havorn was dominant again and made it 2-5 on 68 minutes when a good move resulted with the ball being cut back to Ole Andre Myklebust who knocked past the keeper for his hat trick and then with five minutes to go the scoring was complete when the keeper tried to dribble the ball out of his box before losing it to Ole Andre Myklebust who had the simple job of slotting home into an empty net for his fourth of the game.  So an easy win for Havorn in the end in an enjoyable game to watch.