Copenhagen win DBU Cup

18/05 2012 00:01

FC Copenhagen went into their first DBU Cup final in three years against AC Horsens, who have never before reached this stage. Spectators from across Denmark filled a neutral PARKEN stadium to greet two strong teams onto the pitch.

by Joe Short

The Copenhagen fans held a march earlier in the afternoon from the city centre to PARKEN, and the atmosphere generated was felt immediately in the stands as the national anthem was sung. Head coach Carsten V. Jensen made a few of changes from the weekend, replacing the strike partnership with Mos Abdellaoue and Morten Nordstrand, while Mathis Zanka made his return to the centre of defence.

FCK dominated a slow opening to the game, controlling possession but not properly threatening Frederik Ronnøw in the Horsens goal. Indeed, a few inswinging corners were all Ronnøw had to deal with in the early stages, with Pape Pate Diouf offering the game’s first shot on goal, a light effort from range on 16 minutes.

Moments later and Abdellaoue got his head onto a Lars Jacobsen cross, but it wasn’t enough to direct the ball towards goal. Horsens were proving difficult to break down and were forced into an early substitution when Martin Spelmann came off with injury for Niels Lodberg. Minutes later and Nordstrand almost gave FCK the lead, heading a deep corner down towards goal. Ronnøw saved and began a counter attack that saw Kim Christensen get his gloves dirty, blocking a drilled Alexander Juel Andersen effort.

Claudemir super strike makes it 1-0

Diouf and Martin Vingaard switched flanks on 35 minutes and the former almost immediately broke free, but could only force a corner. The resulting cross was well punched clear by Ronnøw, as it appeared to have beaten both keeper and Zanka and was heading directly into the net.

But Ronnøw could no nothing about the opening goal just three minutes before half time. Claudemir has just returned to the field after receiving treatment, and immediately headed to the Horsens box, where he met Bryan Oviedo’s deep cross to loop a volley back over Ronnøw’s head and into the net.

The 1-0 lead FCK took into the break, and with CV making no changes, the team continued their pressure into the second half, forcing Ronnøw into two good punches clear early on. On 58 minutes Vingaard tested Ronnøw from outside the box but the keeper matched the high swirling effort.

Open goal agony

Horsens had a hold of the game by the hour mark, forcing FCK deep into their own half. However, the Lions were still dangerous on the counter attack, and should really have made it 2-0 on 62 minutes when Abdellaoue fought for the ball and laid off to Diouf, unmarked and in space on the edge of the box with Ronnøw out of his goal. The Senegalese chose to shoot first time, ballooning his effort over the bar.

Diouf headed wide a half chance moments later and was then subbed off for Thomas Kristensen as CV changed things around. Claudemir moved out to the right wing to accommodate Kristensen, yet it was Horsens down that flank where the danger next came: Jeppe Mehl attempting a curling effort that Kristensen did will to get down to.

The ACH pressure continued and they had their best chance of the game when a neat free kick was chipped to the far post and then dinked back across goal. Anders Nøhr met the loose ball with an ambitious sideways volley that luckily for Christensen dropped above the crossbar.

FCK absorb late pressure

Christensen can also count himself grateful a Lodberg shot from four yards out fell to his feet, before Lasse Kryger blazed over from the same distance with 15 minutes remaining. Even with Dame N’Doye on the field, ACH continued their attacks, peppering the Lions box with crosses and well-worked free kicks.

Only a deflection prevented Martin Retov from finding the back of FCK’s net as Horsens threw everything they had in the last 10 minutes. Lodberg was inches away from connecting with a low ball across the face of goal on 83 minutes, before Kristensen pulled off a magnificent save to tip the striker’s second effort over the bar.

Horsens cold not get closer than they did on 85 minutes however, when Morten Rasmussen thundered a strike onto the crossbar after freeing himself from a tangle of players in the FCK box. Copenhagen struck the woodwork themselves when N’Doye rounded Ronnøw in injury time, but could only find the post.

N’Doye’s effort was to be the last action of the game as referee Lars Christoffersen brought the game to a close, securing Copenhagen their fifth DBU Cup in 20 years.

AC HORSENS: 0 FC COPENHAGEN: 1

AC Horsens: Ronnøw, Juel Andersen, Rasmussen, Aslam, Nøhr, Kryger, Retov, Drachmann, Mehl, Spelmann, Fagerberg.

FC Copenhagen: Christensen(C), Jacobsen, Stadsgaard, Zanka, Bengtsson, Grindheim, Claudemir, Diouf, Vingaard, Abdellaoue, Nordstrand.

Goals: Claudemir (42’).

Referee: Lars Christoffersen.