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.
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