Hinna 5 Buoy 2

Norwegian Fourth Division, Rogaland One, Thursday 29th June 2018

My penultimate game in Scandinavia saw me at a Norwegian Fourth Division match from Rogaland and it pitted Hinna against Buoy.

Hosts Hinna had started the season with just five points from eight games but a recent turnaround in form saw the hosts unbeaten in six with four wins in that run although they were still only a point ahead of the bottom three. 

Visitors Buoy sat just below Hinna but werent in such form as their opponents and after three straight defeats, with the last two being heavy home losses, the form book suggested a home win.

After a fairly quiet opening few minutes the hosts broke the deadlock on ten minutes as a cross was missed by defender and saw the hosts nod home at near post despite the keepers best efforts to keep it out, which he probably should of done if truth be told.

His and Buoy's mood got no better three minutes later when it was two for the hosts as a shot from outside the box was poorly parried by the keeper straight into the path of a hosts attacker who duly tapped home the rebound as easy as you like.

Hinna could of added two more before the half hour mark although the visitors were competitive but had failed to really threaten the hosts goal. 

Shortly after the half hour mark the visitors flashed a great ball across the six yard box in what was their best attacking moment so the match but just a couple of minutes later the hosts made it three with a brilliant turn and strike into the roof of the net.

And it looked bleak for the visitors when ten minutes before the break Hinna added another, just walking through a static defence and forcing the ball between the keepers legs and see the ball just trickles in, another one were the keeper probably should of done better if truth be told.

The visitors though kept going despite the 4-0 scoreline and seven minutes before the break grabbed a goal back when a free kick swung in saw the ball glance off a home defender and into the far corner for an own goal.

The hosts then almost restored their four goal cushion when a free kick thumped off the bar and then moments later saw a close range header saved, whilst the visitors headed over good chance late on in the half, a half which ended 4-1 to Hinna.

The visitors knew a second goal back could put doubts in the hosts mind and eight minutes into it saw a terrific run down the wing resulting in a cross which was headed home into far corner, and you felt it could be game on now.

And the visitors twice should of made it 4-3 but were thwarted by the hosts keeper and defence, before the visiting keeper produced a decent save at the other end to prevent a fifth for Hinna. The hosts were looking nervous now though.

Hinna's nerves were not to be helped midway through the half when their full back received a straight red which can only be described as a shocker of a decision. The full back and a winger were battling for the ball and the full back cleared the ball perfectly on the slide but the winger tried to leave his mark on the defender but ended up getting badly injured in the process.

However the referee decided to show the full back a straight red to his utter disbelief and it's got to be one of the worst red card decisions I've ever seen. It also meant the hosts would have to play the final quarter of the contest a man light.

Prior to that red card the hosts should of made it five but saw an effort cleared off the line, and this together with the sending off meant an interesting finale was possible. 

However this never really materialised and two minutes into stoppage time saw the hosts awarded a penalty after the keeper had brought down an opponent and the penalty was despatched and saw Hinna finally seal the points it what had been a far from easy win despite the scoreline suggesting it had been.

So the hosts took a battling win and made it five wins in seven and unbeaten in seven too, climbing up three places to seventh, whilst Buoy dropped into the bottom three after their fourth straight loss.

Viking 2s 2 Lura 2

Norsk Tipping-ligaen (Div3) section Three, Monday 26th June 2017

So a day after seeing the first team draw I was back to watch Vikings 2nd team take on Luna in a Norsk Tipping-ligaen (Div3) section three encounter on the club's training facility. 

Viking 2s sat ninth out of fourteen in the Division and knew a win could take them as high as fourth whilst the visitors were in the final relegation place of eleventh and needing a win to possibly take them outside of the drop zone.

The players emerged from the stadium across the road and entered the training pitch surrounded by fencing (spectators sat outside this on concrete terracing overlooking the pitch) and got ready to do battle.

The opening quarter hour produced no shots on target from either side however there was a decent tempo to the game and when the first shot on target did arrive in the 25th minute it resulted in the opening goal when Robin Shroot turned and fired home a left footed effort from twelve yards out.

This goal saw the game explode into life and saw Lura head an effort straight at the keeper before the hosts drilled an effort a foot wide. The hosts looked likelier to grab another before the break as they slowly began to take control of the contest although the visitors did have a penalty shout but it didn't look like one and the hosts went into the break ahead.

Lura came out a much more threatening outfit in the second period and we're level six minutes into the half when a header across goal saw Vetle Høivik bundle home from close range.

The visitors could sense a second goal now and the game was much better for it and sure enough in the 66th minute Lura got their noses in front in what had been a terrific turnaround when a cross found Sander Bjørnå unmarked and he duly slotted beyond the keeper and the visitors were ahead.

As the game entered it's final quarter Viking began to up the pressure slightly and saw a deflected effort almost creep in and then another cross cause concern, however the defence of Lura were dealing with everything that was being fired at them.

The visitors at times were looking dangerous on the break as Viking pushed more players forward in search of an equaliser. However as the game entered the final minutes of stoppage time it looked like the visitors had earned a hard fought win.

But with the clock on 95 minutes and just when it looked like the green wall of Lura's backline had done enough, a corner swung in saw a host of players go for the ball, including the hosts keeper who had come up for the corner, the ball broke loose for Liban Abdi Ali to swing a boot at the ball and send it into the far corner for a dramatic leveller.

Lura surrounded the referee and were furious claiming the Viking keeper had fouled one of them in going for the ball but the goal stood and Lura had the win snatched from them.

The point doesn't really help either side as they both remain where they started the day. Viking will be glad they managed to salvage something from the game whilst Lura were left gutted and saw two points slip from their grasp. It was an entertaining game though I must say in glorious Stavanger sunshine, which is rare!!!

Viking 1 Haugesund 1

Norwegian Eliteserien 2017, Sunday 25th June 2017
My first full day back in Norway after trip back from Sweden saw me attend the Viking Stadion for a local Rogaland derby between Viking and Haugesund in Norway's Eliteserien. 

The hosts have had a largely poor season and with only two wins from thirteen league games saw them bottom of the pile with just eight points. Haugesund sat in mid table with eighteen points and came into this one off the back of a home win over champions Rosenborg. 

Therefore the pressure was on the hosts to perform as they needed the points more than their rivals did and the first chance did indeed fall to the hosts but saw a good save at the near post deny them.

The opening quarter hour saw both teams have sights of goal but neither could find the early breakthrough in this one although the host had created the better openings. 

Haugesund although marginally second best did go close when they saw a whipped free kick glance of the top of the bar and over although the keeper looked to have had it covered, however just before the half hour mark the hosts grabbed a deserved lead when Kwesi Appiah sent a looping header into the far corner and cued celebrations amongst team mates and fans.

Viking were good value for their lead and Appiah probably should of made it two before half time when he toe ended a cross inches wide but the visitors thought they'd levelled on half time when they converted a free kick at the back post, however this was chalked off after the officials had spotted an infringement. 

It meant the hosts went into the break with a deserved lead although that moment proved it was a fragile one whilst it was only a one goal lead.

The hosts had the best two chances in the early exchanges of the second period, firstly when a terrific run and shot was well saved before secondly the hosts curled an effort a foot wide of the far post.

The visitors did have their moments but were ultimately second best. Viking had a couple more decent chances to probably make the game safe with a second, with one shot striking the post, but could not find that all important goal.

You couldn't help but think that these missed chances would come back to haunt the bottom side and sure enough with two minutes of normal time remaining a long throw into the box saw the loose ball poked home by Vegard Skjerve and you could feel the deflation amongst home fans in the stadium. They had played so well but it looked like they had the win snatched away from them.

Viking pushed for a winner in the six minutes of stoppage time that was added on and saw a free kick well tipped over in what was the final act but missed chances earlier had cost them the three points and the visitors were delighted with a draw which they didn't really deserve.

It all meant that Viking remain bottom, five points behind the teams above, whilst Haugesund remind in mid table and equal distance from the top four and bottom three. The hosts may look back to games like this if they do go down knowing they should of won games such as this. However it is another point on the board which may be important too.

Vanersborgs FK 2 FC Trollhattan 5

Swedish Division Two Norra Goteland Section, Thursday 22nd June 2017

My first visit to Vänersvallen Nord Konstgräs was to see a biggie. Vanersborg FK were taking on FC Trollhattan, a side whose grounds are just ten miles apart. 

Also the sides sat third and fourth in the Swedish Division Two Norra Goteland Section, meaning their was more than just local pride at stake in this one.

I contacted the club prior to the game to ask about ticket prices and whether I could pay on the gate, as I was expecting a fairly big crowd for this derby game.

The response I got was 100kr (about a tenner) but if they could use my blog report on their website I could come in for free which was a great gesture. Also I was handed a free club scarf too which was unexpected but gleefully accepted.

After obtaining my programme with both squads in I took my place in the large wooden stand overlooking the artificial surface and dugouts. I sat on the half way line and had a perfect view of the action. A large crowd gathered in anticipation of a close tight battle but what was to happen next was extraordinary. 

The visitors flew out of the blocks and were three goals up inside the first quarter hour mark. It began in the fifth minute when a long ball forward saw keeper and attacker colide with the loose ball falling into the path of Pelle Odlund who duly side footed into the empty net.

Then in the tenth minute the visitors lead was doubled when a ball laid off into the path of Arlind Beqiri who fired a terrific effort across the keeper and in off the post, before it was three only three minutes later when Fredrik Soderqvist shrugged off a defender and fired across the keeper and in.

The hosts looked shell shocked but almost responded immediately after the visitors third goal, forcing a decent save from keeper Filippos Sachsanidis, and we're applying more pressure on the visitors back line although the FCT defence was holding firm.

After the visitors had weathered this brief storm from the hosts they began to threaten themselves again and a minute before the break added a fourth goal when Andreas Schmidt struck a wonderful dipping free kick from way out beyond keeper Nino Sahinovic and the stunned hosts went into the break four goals behind and with only pride left to play for it seemed. 

With no doubt a flea ringing in the ears of the hosts players after that terrible debacle in the first half they almost fell further behind inside a minute of the restart when the visitors somehow hit the post from close range rather then scoring, but after this scare the hosts looked threatening without any joy as they looked for a route back into this contest. 

And then came a five minute spell that got the home side right back in the game. In the 62nd minute the hosts grabbed a goal back as a chest down into the path of Ismael Fonjah saw the VFK forward fire past keeper Sachsanidis and then three minutes later got a second when Fonjah headed home a corner and it was very much game on.

The hosts began to look like they could score every time they came forward and Fonjah had a golden chance to net his hat-trick and make it 3-4 when he got in behind the visitors defence, but Sachsanidis beat away his effort.

The hosts spent a lot of their time inside the visitors final third but could not find another breakthrough which would of made the now slightly nervous visitors very shaky indeed.

But then in a rare break out attack the hosts made a mistake and allowed Odlund into the box and as the defender tried to recover his error he wiped out the forward and gave away a penalty. Odlund picked himself up and converted the spot kick and finally end VFK's comeback hopes.

The final ten minutes or so saw the hosts continue to pluck away and create two good chances but were unable to convert either chance. Odlund almost completed his hat-trick in stoppage time but his two goals helped his side to the three points and see them go level with their opponents and above them on goal difference. 

The hosts gave it a good go in the second half but were left with too much to do ultimately after what had been a disastrous first half. No doubt they will fight back in their next game but I would again like to thank them for their wonderful hospitality which made my visit very enjoyable.

Melleruds 3 Färgelanda 0

Swedish Division Four Bohuslan/Dalsland Section, Wednesday 21st June 2017

I was back at Radavallen in Mellerud to see if the first team could go one better than their 2s did on Sunday and beat Färgelanda in a Division Four Bohuslan/Dalsland Section league match.

Mellerud were having a great season and had won all but one of their ten league encounters and sat second, a point behind Odsmal at kick off. Färgelanda won promotion from the Fifth Division Dalsland Section last season and sat eighth out of twelve teams and four points above the bottom two.

So on paper the hosts looked the stronger and this looked the case out on the pitch too from the off as the first quarter hour of the contest saw the hosts with all the play and force a couple of decent saves from visiting keeper Henrik Albinsson. 

It was no surprise therefore when the hosts broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when forward Sebastian Hedlund brushed off a defender and fired past keeper Albinsson and give the home side a deserved lead.

The hosts could have easily been out of sight by the half hour mark too as they missed two chances from close range and saw a free kick smack off the bar from twenty yards out. 

With all this dominance but only one goal to show for it they may have worried that it could come back to haunt them however they doubled that lead four minutes before half time as after Hedlund was brought down inside the box whilst shooting, Albin Broberg converted the spot kick.

And then three minutes later it was three for Melleruds when awful defending from the visitors from a corner allowed Tim Svensson to poke the ball over the line from close range and the hosts had a comfortable lead at the break.

Melleruds had been totally dominant and could and should of had more goals, and the visitors have barely got out of their own half however the first quarter hour of the second period was more competitive however the hosts did pass up four more opportunities as they looked to extend their lead.

Thereafter Färgelanda to their credit kept going and this resulted in their best spell of the game and they almost got one back but keeper Andreas Grimheden saved well at the feet of the attacker.

But with five minutes left Melleruds were awarded a second penalty of the game when Broberg was hauled down inside the area, however this time he saw his spot kick saved by Albinsson before the rebound was sliced well wide.

A special mention must be said for Färgelanda keeper Albinsson who had made several decent saves in the contest to keep the score down, he was certainly their man of the match that was for sure.

However despite the visitors improved second half performance it was the hosts who took a deserved win and make it ten wins from eleven in league and go top after Odsmal drew.

Färgelanda were well beaten today overall and now sit just a point above the drop zone after other results went against them. It looks like a relegation battle awaits them unless they can improve on this display today.