N’Doye clinches late point for Lions

Head coach Ståle Solbakken had an almost fully fit squad to chose from for F.C. Copenhagen’s trip to SønderjyskE. Sölvi Ottesen came back into the centre of defence for his first league start since a broken arm in September, in place of Mathias Zanka: goalscorer in last Sundays 4-0 win over AC Horsens.
 
by Joe Short
Meanwhile, Martin Vingaard was given a rest as Jesper Grønkjær took the reigns on the left wing, as FCK looked to extend their lead at the top of the Superliga table.
 
Christian Bolaños made the first opening after just a few minutes when he snatched the ball off an inattentive Andrei Sidorenkov and shot at an acute angle, but goalkeeper Nathan Coe saved well. After 15 minutes Coe was again called up to make a save, this time off a Dame N’Doye header after Grønkjær had intercepted SønderjyskE possession.
 
The home side had some counter attacking chances but squandered, and it was a very quiet early half for Johan Wiland – not least because Sölvi Ottesen kept a firm grip on striker Kenneth Fabricius, so there were not many decent balls to work with.
 
SønderjyskE take the lead from the spot
As the match progressed, it became increasingly difficult for the Lions to play their usual style of football. The home side were playing tough, and made sure the FCK players felt their challengers, yet referee Claus Bo Larsen was consistent and let most tackles pass without whistling. In return he gave SønderjyskE a somewhat dubious penalty kick five minutes before the break when Grønkjær – down in his own penalty area – tried to tame the ball with his chest from a SønderjyskE throw, but Larsen rules he had used his arm. Rasmus Hansen stepped up to slot the ball past Wiland’s left to make it 1-0 to the home side.
 
A frustrating end to the first half for FCK, which got even worse just minutes after the restart, as SønderjyskE made it 2-0. A cross from the left was not cleared properly and spilled out to Mustafa Kucukovic who wrenched himself free of Claudemir and thundered the ball away from acute angle: Wiland’s gloves stroking the ball through the underside of the crossbar.
 
Kvist creates N’Doye fightback
Luckily for Copenhagen it was not long before N'Doye headed the Danish champions back into the match, when William Kvist found space on the left hand side and struck a fine cross with his left foot onto the head of the Senegalese striker, who directed the ball safely into the net to half SønderjyskE’s lead to 2-1.
 
It was now clear that the half time team talk was successful as there was completely different pace and tempo of Copenhagen's game, although the home team still defended their lead tooth and nail. And yet, as in the cup match against AC Horsens, SønderjyskE were taken too lightly up front, and after an hour of play Fabricius – for the first and only time in the match – slipped past Ottesen and Antonsson, and one-on-one with Wiland placed the ball low to make it 3-1.
 
Two late goals rescue point
The 4,377 spectators got drama and excitement for their money as the clock ticked down. N'Doye came close with a header, before Vingaard screwed a shot past Coe and into the net to claw Copenhagen back into the game at 3-2. There was a claim for an FCK penalty when Hansen deflected a Grønkjær show with his arm, but the referee kept the whistle away from his mouth.
 
With a Lions again on the attack, Bolaños created a good opportunity for himself in the middle of goal, but kicked well above target; and soon after Vingaard came close with a shot the sailed inches wide of the woodwork. With ten minutes before full time, Zdenek Pospech mustered a good shooting chance for N'Doye, but Hansen threw himself desperately down at the feet of the striker to distract N’Doye form hitting the target.
 
Last-gasp header from N’Doye
At 3-2 the board went up for injury time, and it seemed SønderjyskE would hold on to all three points and condemn FCK to their first league defeat of the season. And yet, in the dying seconds of the game, N'Doye equalized after excellent work by Oscar Wendt. The left back skipped past Johnny Thomsen out on the left wing and found the Senegalese, who had smartly pulled clear of the SønderjyskE players who seemed to populate the penalty box and produced for an emphatic equalizer.
 
The draw meant F.C. Copenhagen continue their unbeaten record in the Superliga, and N’Doye’s brace now puts him of par with Cesar Santin at the top of the Superliga goals list, with 11 each between them. Another full week’s rest is in stall for the Lions, who will prepare to take on FC Nordsjælland at PARKEN on Sunday.
 
 
MATCHFACTS:

 
SønderjyskE: 3                        F.C. Copenhagen: 3
 
FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Ottesen, Antonsson, Wendt, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kvist (C), Grønkjær, Santin, N'Doye.
 
SønderjyskE: Coe (GK), Thomsen, Østli, Storbæk, Sidorenkov, Skúlason, Henrick Hansen, Rasmus Hansen, Kucokovic, Fabricius, Antipas.
 
Referee: Claus Bo Larsen
 
Goals: Hansen, SønderjyskE (40’), Kucukovic, SønderjyskE (48’), N’Doye (52’), Fabricius, SønderjyskE (59’), Vingaard (63’), N’Doye (90’).