Late flourish sees FCK through to semis

25/11 2011 01:16

9,000 spectators braved the bitter cold in PARKEN on Thursday evening, as FC Copenhagen faced FC Nordsjælland in the quarter finals of the DBU Cup.

by Joe Short

Head coach Roland Nilsson made five changes from the weekend loss at Brøndby, bringing in Kim Christensen in goal, Sölvi Ottesen at the back, both Christian Grindheim and Pape Pate Diouf in midfield; while César Santin was handed a starting role up front.

It was the home side who began the stronger, striking the woodwork within five minutes: Dame N’Doye hammering a free kick off the crossbar without goalkeeper Jesper Hansen being able to stretch even a finger towards the fierce shot.

FCN returned the threat, and on ten minutes Tobias Mikkelsen found space on the edge of the Copenhagen box, had time to adjust his feet, but skewed his shot wide of Christensen’s near post. At the other end Ottesen got on the end of a curling Christian Bolaños ball, but the Icelandic international couldn’t steer his header goalwards.

Sigurdsson prevents sure goal

Nordsjælland’s best chance of the game came before 20 minutes, after a routine, flowing build up led Mikkel Beckmann into a shooting position. His volley on the edge of the FCK box looked goal-bound, but Ragnar Sigurdsson threw his body in the way before the strike could trouble Christensen’s goal.

Copenhagen produced a golden scoring chance on 37 minutes after determined work from Bolaños, but N’Doye was ruled offside before he could finish. Meanwhile, shortly before the break, Mikkelsen again saw an effort blocked before Christensen was called into action.

The half time break evidently had FCN head coach Kasper Hjulmand order his troops further up the field, but the away side failed to produce any scoring chances in the opening to the second half. Chances were mainly white-clad, Grindheim poked through Diouf completely free in the box, but the Senegalese stabbed the ball inches past the post.

Ottesen and Dious secure safe passage

A Beckmann free kick at the other end was punched away by Christensen soon after, and with 20 minutes to go Ottesen headed into the path of Santin, but the Brazilian fired his shot wide of the mark. Bolaños then created a wonderful opportunity having skinned two men to cross into the box, but his delivery inches too low for N’Doye, whose headed effort failed to threaten the FCN goal.

It looked as though neither team were going to break the deadlock, that is until the 88th minute, when Ottesen met a Bryan Oviedo corner from the right. The centre back’s header was firm and true, nodding home an unimpeded effort into a gaping goal to fire FCK into a 1-0 lead.

Of course Nordsjælland threw everything at the Danish champions following the goal, which led to gaps in the away side’s defence. After neat work from Claudemir and N’Doye, Diouf found himself through on goal with just Hansen to beat. The striker tapped in for 2-0 to secure FCK a safe passage through the semi finals of the DBU Cup, to be held in the spring.

FC COPENHAGEN: 2 FC NORDSJÆLLAND: 0

FC Copenhagen: Christensen, Jacobsen, Sigurdsson, Ottesen, Oviedo, Claudemir, Grindheim, Bolaños, Diouf, Santin, N’Doye.

FC Nordsjælland: Hansen, Okore, Kildentoft, Adu, Stokholm, Mtiliga, Mikkelsen, Beckmann, Lawan, Christensen, Parkhurst.

Goals: Ottesen (88’), Diouf (90’).

Referee: Michael Johansen.