Lions held 1-1 in Jutland

17/05 2011 00:15

Head coach Ståle Solbakken made three changes to his starting XI that drew with Brøndby IF eight days ago. Pierre Bengtsson replaced Oscar Wendt at left back while Jos Hooiveld came in to partner Mathias Zanka as Mikael Antonsson moved to the bench. In the midfield, Thomas Delaney started on the left wing replacing Thomas Kristensen.

by Joe Short

Playing a long distance from home on a Monday evening is never easy, but Copenhagen set forth from the traps with real purpose, and after just three minutes opened the scoring. Christian Bolaños hit the byline before playing the ball across goal for Delaney to power a header into the net. It was Delaney’s first goal of the Superliga season for FCK, and his celebrations showed just how much it meant to the winger.

After the goal Copenhagen settled the pace of the game, dictating possession. However, they couldn’t force a clear effort on goal through a resilient Horsens defence. Dame N’Doye looked to be though on goal after some confusion with the offside trap and César Santin, but he was adjudged to be half a yard off. At the other end, Martin Retov blasted over Johan Wiland’s crossbar from way out.

Copenhagen may have been controlling the game, but complacency can strike at the best of times, as Zanka found to his folly on 14 minutes. Niels Lodberg won a challenge with N’Doye at the heart of the Horsens defence and played a straight ball up field. Wiland, determined to eradicate all danger, came to clear the long ball before Gilberto Macena could reach it. Maybe Zanka hadn’t heard the call, but he headed past the out-coming Wiland to play Macena through. The Brazilian beat Hooiveld to the loose ball to tap into Wiland’s unguarded goal.

Calm after crazy opening

The surprising early action soon died down as both sides settled to a game of ball retention, rarely forcing an opportunity on goal. Zdenek Pospech crossed for N’Doye in the 21st minute, but the ball exceeded the outstretched striker. Bolaños had a drilled effort blocked by goalkeeper Søren Jochumsen ten minutes later. Indeed, the closest FCK got to the goal before half time was a César Santin flicked header, but it fell nicely into Jochumsen’s chest.

The opening throws of the second half were dominated by Horsens chances. After neatly saving two goal-bound efforts, Wiland had to keep his nerve as Macena ran though one-on-one, firing low into the keeper’s knees. Martin Spelmann then provided Macena with a golden opportunity on the hour mark, but again the striker couldn’t convert.

Solbakken made a tactical substitution shortly afterwards, bringing on Kenneth Zohore for Santin. Zohore – only recently returned from the U17 World Championships – got straight into the action, curling an effort wide of Jochumsen’s left-hand post on 71 minutes. Moments later N’Doye found space to shoot, but the Horsens keeper was on hand to collect calmly.

Grønkjær agonisingly close

Horsens appeared determined not to settle for a point, and Macena once again tested Wiland on 83 minutes, the Swede advancing out of his goal to smother the danger. A long Claudemir throw-in at the other end hit N’Doye as he surged into the box, but the ball dribbled harmlessly to Jochumsen as the clocked ticked down.

Indeed, Sölvi Ottesen entered the fray for the remaining three minutes to try and salvage a victory for FCK, but it was Jesper Grønkjær who almost stole the show, cutting inside on his right foot to thunder a long-range shot against the Horsens crossbar in the 91st minute.

Copenhagen could only muster a wide Ottesen header before referee Claus Bo Larsen brought the game to an end. The 1-1 result moves FCK to within two points of claiming the all-time Danish Superliga points total, while Horsens will feel a point was thoroughly deserved, a vital acquisition in their fight against relegation.

AC HORSENS: 1 FC COPENHAGEN: 1

AC Horsens: Jochumsen, Rasmussen, Aslam, Lodberg, Nøhr, Andersen, Retov, Spelmann, Kortegaard, Macena, Nakajima-Farran.

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Bengtsson, Zanka, Hooiveld, Pospech, Delaney, Claudemir, Kvist (C), Bolaños, N’Doye, Santin.

Goals: Delaney (3’), Macena, AC Horsens (14’).

Referee: Claus Bo Larsen.