Ottesen winner stuns Randers

25/08 2012 19:10

FC Copenhagen performed a miracle comeback to beat Randers 3-2 in Jutland and soar back to the top of the Superliga. Andreas Cornelius and Sölvi Ottesen both scored headers in stoppage time to hand FCK all three points.

by Joe Short

The Lions travelled to Jutland this weekend for their Superliga clash with newly-promoted Randers and head coach Ariel Jacobs made a few changes from the team’s midweek victory over Lille. Christoffer Remmer replaced Lars Jacobsen at right-back while Thomas Delaney came into the midfield in place of Thomas Kristensen. Cornelius was also handed a start up front and new signing Michael Jakobsen got his first appearance in an FCK shirt.

Just 40 seconds into the game Randers winger Jonas Kamper scared Johan Wiland with a fierce free-kick that narrowly flew wide of the keeper’s left post. Kamper and Ronnie Schwartz both had further early efforts but couldn’t threaten Wiland with long-range strikes.

After Cornelius had sent the ball high over the crossbar in FCK’s first attack, Vingaard carved out a neat left-footed effort from the edge of the Randers box that sailed just wide for the far post. 23 minutes in and Claudemir almost broke the deadlock with a deep run that Delaney picked up on but the Brazilian’s flicked effort failed to trouble David Ousted in goal.

Randers take lead in style

Moments after the chance Randers almost took the lead at the second attempt when Wiland spilled Kamper’s long-range shot into Nicolai Brock-Madsen’s path, yet the keeper recovered quickly enough to block the rebound and make amends for his error.

Copenhagen’s first real attack came on 36 minutes when Christian Bolaños found space on the right edge of the Randers box but his drilled low cross was cut out before César Santin could tap in. Moments later and Claudemir sent a hard half-volley at goal but missed the bottom right corner by inches.

Just as Copenhagen were working their way into the game Randers’ Schwartz scored after a pulsating direct run that split the defence before drilling a shot past Wiland into the left of the net.

Jørgensen levels for FCK but Randers hit back!

Head coach Ariel Jacobs made an attacking change at half time, bringing on Nicolai Jørgensen for Santin. Randers were the first to come close after the break: Alexander Fischer scuffing a good chance wide of goal. Yet there was far more energy in FCK with Jørgensen forcing Ousted into a low save on 48 minutes.

Jørgensen’s influence was clear as the Lions built on a good spell of pressure, and the substitute did what Jacobs brought him on to do on 58 minutes with a simple header to equalise for FCK. Vingaard picked his man from the right wing and all Jørgensen had to do was direct his header past Ousted for 1-1.

Yet football is a cruel game and less than a minute later Randers were back in front when referee Michael Svendsen adjudged Jakobsen to have handballed in the box, awarding a penalty to the home side. Schwartz stepped up to take it and blasted the ball directly down the centre of the goal.

Two late headers win it for Copenhagen

The Lions tried to reply immediately as Vingaard fired over on 67 minutes before the captain almost wrong-footed Ousted with a bending shot four minutes later. They had a great chance to score in the following passage when a delightful Bengtsson cross found Cornelius at the far post, but Ousted palmed the striker’s header away.

Jacobs made two furthers subs with Bryan Oviedo and Kristensen coming on for the final 10 minutes, and seconds later Copenhagen almost equalised with Cornelius’ towering header that bounced off the stump of the post and clear. The striker had another deflected effort almost squeeze in on 85 minutes but Ousted pushed the spinning ball around the post.

Four minutes of added time seemed like it would not be enough but, in scenes almost mirroring their first goal, the Lions struck another equaliser when Cornelius rose high to head a looping effort into the net.

Copenhagen were buoyed by their earned point, but a draw suddenly turned into victory when Oviedo bombarded down the left wing to whip in a cross for Ottesen who’s diving header flew into Ousted’s bottom left-hand corner to seal a remarkable 3-2 victory for FCK.

RANDERS FC: 2 FC COPENHAGEN: 3

Randers FC: Ousted, Thomsen, Schaaf, Fenger, Sørensen, Kamper, Keller, Sane, Fischer, Schwartz, Brock-Madsen.

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Remmer, Ottesen, Jakobsen, Bengtsson, Bolaños, Claudemir, Delaney, Vingaard, Cornelius, Santin.

Goals: Schwartz, Randers FC (38’), Jørgensen (58’), Schwartz, Randers FC (61’), Cornelius (90+2’), Ottesen (90+3’).

Referee: Michael Svendsen.