Havorn 3 Buoy 2

Norwegian 4th Division Group 14 Rogaland 2, Thursday 10th September 2015

In my first Norwegian match of the 2015 season I popped to see local 4th Division side Havorn take on Buoy in a 4th Division Group 14 Rogaland 2 encounter.

The hosts were fourth in the Division whilst the visitors were holding up the rest at the bottom of the league. The hosts had the first chance on 5 minutes when a good run down the left saw the winger lay off to a team mate inside who took a touch and fired just wide from the edge of the box. On 10 minutes a well worked free kick from the hosts saw them get in down the right but after the ball was played into the box an effort was struck high over the bar.

On 12 minutes a corner from the hosts was punched away from under his own bar by the visiting keeper as the hosts continued to threaten an opening goal and on 19 minutes a long throw into the visitors box saw an attempted overhead kick get totally mis-kicked well wide of the target. The visitors hadn’t really threatened the hosts goal but on 21 minutes a hopeful clearance out of defence from the visitors back line saw their forward outmuscle his marker but saw his lob deflect over the bar.

Three minutes later the visitors forced a couple of corners as they put some pressure on the hosts backline but on 26 minutes came the eventual breakthrough as the hosts got in front
as after a corner ran over to the far side of the area the ball was hooked back in towards the near post and saw Stian Olsen get across his marker to flick past the keeper. Havorn 1 Buoy 0.

Moments later the hosts doubled their lead as a ball forward into the box caused confusionbetween keeper and defender and as the keeper came out to try and claim the loose bouncing ball his defender tried to clear with his head but instead headed over his stranded keeper and into his own goal. Havorn 2 Buoy 0.

The hosts were now totally dominant and threatened to score more goals and on 31 minutes wasted two good chances, firstly when they got in behind the defence and only a good challenge from a recovering defender stopped the hosts from getting a strike on goal and then secondly Olsen got clean through on the right but sliced his effort well wide.

However on 32 minutes the visitors had a golden chance when they sprung down the right and the cross saw the forward totally unmarked in the middle but he hit his effort straight at the keeper. The hosts had become sloppy and maybe slightly complacent now and a poor pass across the pitch straight to the visitors saw them drive at the area and hit a long range effort a foot over and then the visitors attacked again and saw this end by hitting just wide of the hosts goal.

Seven minutes before the half time break the hosts almost gifted the visitors a comical own goal as a defender returned a ball to the keeper but overhit the pass almost into his own net and saw the keeper just about clear off the line and then almost had the ball pinched from his toes as he stretched to clear. Moments later another golden chance for Buoy saw the keeper save a shot but parry out to an incoming striker who thumped against the post from point blank range.

The hosts headed a corner over the bar right on half time but although they led 2-0 at the break they knew they had a game on their hands.

Half Time Havorn 2 Buoy 0

Seconds into the restart Havorn should of made it three when Olsen saw an effort blocked and then thee follow up blocked before a third attempt saw the keeper save. The visitors continued to threaten the hosts goal too and two minutes later volleyed just over the hosts bar from a decent cross. Ten minutes into the half the visitors had their goal back as a good run down the right saw the cross headed in at the near post and it was most certainly game on. Havorn 2 Buoy 1.

Moments later came a bad moment for the hosts as one of their players went down after a challenge and it looked like a bad injury as the stretcher was called for. Let’s hope the lad makes a swift recovery. It got even worse soon after the lengthy stoppage as on 63 minutes it was all square as a free kick into the hosts box was headed past the keeper and Havorn’s lead had been wiped out. Havorn 2 Buoy 2.

On 68 minutes the visitors threatened again as another good run down the right saw a cross cleared to the edge of the box where an effort was hit wide of the upright and then moments later the hosts caught the visitors napping with a quick free kick but the eventual shot was miles over. Havorn were in danger of totally throwing this game away but on 77 minutes thought they were in behind the Buoy defence until the referee brought their attack to a halt for an apparent foul in the build up. The hosts were getting increasingly frustrated by now as they were struggling to get any momentum going.

However as the game entered the final five of the ninety the hosts were doing more of the pressing although the final product was lacking. On 90 minutes the hosts sprung forward and saw the ball come out to the edge of the box following a clearance but again the finish was lacking and was hit miles wide. Moments later the visitors broke down the right but saw the ball into the box go behind everyone and the chance was gone.

Buoy had an even better chance two minutes into stoppage time when they had a free sight of goal inside the hosts area but the effort was hit straight at the keeper but moments later the hosts scored what proved to be the winner when a cross fell eventually to the edge of the box and saw Espen Hjelm slam an effort past the keeper into the top corner. Havorn 3 Buoy 2.

The hosts should of sealed the game four minutes into stoppage time when they got in down the right again but instead of the winger squaring to the forward for an easy tap in he went for goal himself and saw the keeper save with his legs. It mattered not however as after seven minutes of stoppage time the referee brought this competitive encounter to a close. Havorn move up to third whilst Buoy remain bottom with 11 defeats from 17 games although after this performance it’s hard to see why. The defeat would no doubt be tough to take.

Full Time Havorn 3 Buoy 2