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.

Melleruds 2s 1 Bralanda 1

Swedish Division Five Dalsland Section, Sunday 18th July 2017

So a second Swedish Division Five Dalsland Section match in two days saw my first visit to Radavallen, home of Melleruds IF, and their second team were at home to Bralanda. 

Mellerud is small town about 10km from Asebro where I am staying currently and it's a small Stadium which forms part of a Sporting complex in the town. Entrance fee was 40kr (about 4 quid) so decent fare.

Both teams have started the season poorly, with hosts Melleruds 2s third bottom and only three points ahead of bottom side Bralanda, who had one win and six defeats so far. It was an important match you could say.

The opening quarter hour so the visitors look slightly better however it was the hosts who had carved out the best two chances, a looping header just over and then an effort from inside the area well saved.

The following passage of play saw the visitors create two great chances, one which was cleared off the line, whilst down the other end the hosts sliced an effort wide of the target as the game remained goalless. 

The final fifteen minutes of the half belonged to the hosts and saw an effort tipped onto the crossbar before another effort flew just wife of the post. Despite this though it remained goalless as the half time whistle blew as both sides went into the changing rooms for a rest.

Bralanda passed up three good opportunities in the early exchanges of the second half,whilst down the other end the hosts headed wide of the target.

But twenty minutes into the second period came the breakthrough and it was visitors player Tobias Svensson who headed home a free kick in at the near post and the bottom side had a precious lead.

It was a lead that was almost wiped out moments after when a ball across the six yard box somehow missed everyone and drifted away to safety and then a few minutes later Bralanda missed a golden chance to double their lead when a cut back was put over the bar from point blank range with the goal gaping.

The visitors saw a point blank save keep them from doubling their lead again but then came a few minutes of pressure from the hosts as they tried to find a leveller in this one, and with eight minutes remaining found that equaliser when Nils Svensson drifted in at the back post to send a diving header home at the far post.

Neither side could find a winner in the remaining minutes of this contest so the points were shared, leaving Melleruds 2s third bottom but also meant Bralanda escape bottom place and go above Eds FF 2s on goal difference.

Asebro 0 Bengtsfors 3

Swedish Division 5 - Dalsland Section, Saturday 17th June 2017

So summer 2017 and another trip to see Swedish side Asebro in the Swedish countryside for a fifth Division encounter against Bengtsfors at Rudevi IP. 

Asebro is a tiny village set in the Swedish countryside some two hours or so north of Gothenburg and boasts a very decent set up in Rudevi IP and with the entrance fee of 50 Swedish kroner (about a fiver) not bad value either (even if it has gone up 20kr from last season!).

The hosts sat fifth in a ten team Divison whilst visitors Bengtsfors knew a win could take them top of the division so no doubt this was a big incentive. However the hosts came into this off the back of a 7-3 defeat so would no doubt want to try and banish this memory with a good performance here.

The opening quarter hour saw half chances for both sides but the game had begun in a fairly slow tempo but in the 21st minute the visitors broke the deadlock with a good powerful near post header from a corner.

The hosts responded well to going behind, creating three decent chances, however they could not find a way through and then almost went further behind but saw the visitors miss an open goal.

It meant Bengtsfors had a slender lead at the break after having chances to extend it, however the hosts had put plenty of pressure on the visitors but were poor in the final third, and it meant the next goal would be crucial.

And that second crucial goal came seven minutes into the second half and it went to Bengtsfors as another corner was not dealt with by Asebro and saw the ball rifled home into the roof of the net and the hosts had it all to do.

Again Asebro responded well to conceding however their problem was they just could not find a way through despite their best efforts.

Visitors Bengtsfors had a couple of decent chances to kill the game as the match entered it's final quarter however the hosts then summed up their day up front, missing two headers from point black range as they probably knew it wasn't their day.

And with eight minutes remaining Bengtsfors sealed the three points when a devastating attack ended with a scuffed finish across the keeper and into the far corner. 

So Bengtsfors took the points at Rudevi IP but fail to claim top spot as leaders Hafrestroms also won but do strengthen second place, whilst Asebro remain fifth tied on 12 points with Frandefors and Tosse.