Lions held to home draw

by Joe Short

Andreas Cornelius scored a spectacular solo goal as FC Copenhagen picked up a point against Randers in PARKEN.

The 21-year-old rode five challenges before clipping the ball past goalkeeper Peter Friis Jensen, yet Kasper Fisker earned Randers a point with a drilled effort 11 minutes from time.

Cornelius and Youssef Toutouh had earlier come close for FCK but it was Johan Wiland in the Lions goal who was the busier of the two keepers, making a superb double save to deny the away side.

Igor Vetokele, celebrating his 22nd birthday, was barely afforded a sniff on goal all game as FCK made do with the draw.

Randers have best of early exchanges

Cornelius required just three minutes to get back into his shooting groove with a low effort off Vetokele’s pass that whisked into Jensen’s hands. At the other end, Wiland got his first taste of action collecting a tame drive from Fisker on 11 minutes.

Midway through the first half Kris Stadsgaard did enough to prevent Djiby Fall from a one-on-one chance by closing the Randers forward’s angle tightly enough to give Wiland an easy save, before a flick off Jonas Borring from a corner clipped the top of the goalkeeper’s crossbar.

Andreas Cornelius, who was forced off to receive treatment for a head injury on the half hour mark, returned to the pitch and came within inches off handing FCK the lead when he swivelled well in the Randers box but miscued his left-footed effort wide of goal.

Half-time sparks reaction

Head coach Ståle Solbakken brought Thomas Kristensen on for Claudemir at the start of the second half but it was Randers who started the brighter when Fisker cut inside on the right to drill a shot low towards goal, only for Wiland to get down to his left and collect the effort.

A magnificent low save from Wiland prevented Borring heading home a deep Randers free kick before the goalkeeper scrambled to block substitute Viktor Lundberg’s rebound as the away side continued to pressuring Copenhagen’s back line. Youssef Toutouh, meanwhile, grazed the Randers crossbar at the other end on 59 minutes.

With 25 minutes remaining Solbakken swapped Thomas Delaney for Daniel Braaten and almost immediately the Lions bagged their vital goal. Andreas Cornelius collected the ball wide on the left side of the Randers box, bypassed five defenders as he jinked across the edge of the area before he slotted right-footed past Jensen for the opener.

Randers bag quick equaliser

But Copenhagen were unable to enjoy the strike for long as Fisker collected a short pass on the left of the FCK box before firing a well-placed effort across Wiland and into the far corner of the net with 11 minutes remaining.

The equaliser stunned FCK and Randers became the more dominant threat. Georg Margreitter entered the field for Vetokele with a few minutes left and Cornelius almost stole it at the death but his tricky header from Kristensen’s centre flew over the crossbar.

The draw leaves FCK six points off Superliga leaders FC Midtjylland, with their next game an away trip to Aalborg next weekend.

FC COPENHAGEN: 1 RANDERS: 1

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Remmer, Mellberg, Stadsgaard, Bengtsson, Gislason, Toutouh, Claudemir, Delaney (C), Cornelius, Vetokele.

Randers: Jensen, Fischer, Nielsen, Agesen, Tamboura, Fisker, Keller, Bjarnason, Borring, Schwartz, Fall.

Goals: Cornelius (67’), Fisker, Randers (79’).

Referee: Henning Jensen.