Horsens hold Lions to 1-1 draw

29/09 2012 19:04

FC Copenhagen had to settle for a point after a tough battle away to AC Horsens in the Superliga on Saturday. Andreas Cornelius scored to give FCK the lead before the home side drew level moments later, with neither side able to find a winner.

by Joe Short

Head coach Ariel Jacobs made three changes up the field to his side that beat Silkeborg last weekend. Christian Bolaños and Thomas Kristensen came into the midfield and César Santin earned a start over Igor Vetokele, while the defence stayed the same.

Neither side started too well and it took 15 minutes for the first real chance, when Thomas Kristensen played Santin through. The striker chose to shoot early and his low effort was well parried by Frederik Ronnøw, the ball falling to Bolaños on the right flank. Bolaños chipped back over to Andreas Cornelius, whose header Santin converted from two yards out - only to see the lineman's flag go up for offside.

The game continued without much incident as both defences played high lines to stifle play in the middle of the park. Kris Stadsgaard needed his partner Ragnar Sigurdsson to clear up a weak back pass, proving the FCK defender's alertness as the half rolled on.

Two goals in two minutes

Yet despite their stuttering start FCK took the lead on 29 minutes thanks to Cornelius' head once again. After Horsens half cleared a dangerous cross Lars Jacobsen picked up the ball on the right wing and chipped a delicate assist into the box, where Cornelius beat two defenders to head back across into the top right corner of the net. 1-0 FCK!

Bolaños came inches away from scoring a second for the Lions soon after the goal, but his low free-kick landed just the wrong side the Ronnøw's right post. Seconds after the chance and Horsens struck an equaliser, when Jude Nworuh slid in to convert Janus Drachmann's skewered shot past Johan Wiland.

The game sparked into life after the flurry and Bolaños came close with another low drive on 36 minutes, while two minutes later Cornelius should have scored a second when he made space 10 yards out but hit the post after Jacobsen had jinked his way into the box.

Santin and Cornelius miss headers

Two minutes before the break Santin had a golden opportunity to score after once again being played free of the Horsens defence, but a heavy first touch saw the ball roll into Ronnøw's grasp. Another cross from the right almost led to Nicolai Jørgensen getting on the scoresheet but his header fell two yards wide to the right.

Copenhagen started the second half much stronger than the first, with Cornelius and Santin both coming close with headers in the opening stages. Jørgensen floated a lovely ball in for Cornelius, who beat Ronnøw but headed onto the outside of the post, while Santin went wide with another aerial effort a minute later.

Horsens reorganised their defence after the brief FCK pressure and very soon began to dominate possession in the middle. Jacobs brought Santin off for Thomas Delaney on the hour mark as Jørgensen moved up behind Cornelius, and FCK continued their aerial threat minutes later when Sigurdsson rose to head wide a tasty Bolaños corner.

Neither side force breakthrough

At the other end a combination of Pierre Bengtsson defending and Wiland catching prevented Ken Fagerberg giving Horsens the lead on 67 minutes, while Claudemir stung the hands of Ronnøw with a neat volley four minutes later. Bolaños came off soon after the chance for Rurik Gislason, who took up position on the right wing.

Stadsgaard swung a leg at a loose ball following Jacobsen's deep corner with 10 minutes left but could only find the back of the stand, while Nworuh's cross from the Horsens left edge of the box almost beat Wiland at his far post. Gislason had a chance on 90 minutes from the right side of Horsens' box but Ronnøw got down well to the effort.

With neither side capable of bagging a winner FCK head home with a point in hand, maintaining their grip on the top of the Danish Superliga as focus turns to Europe. Next up is a flight to Bucharest for Thursday's UEFA Europa League clash with Steaua.

AC HORSENS: 1 FC COPENHAGEN: 1

AC Horsens: Ronnøw, Andersen, Agesen, Jorgensen, Kortegaard, Drachmann, Retov, Kielstrup, Spelmann, Fagerberg, Nworuh.

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Jacobsen (C), Stadsgaard, Sigurdsson, Bengtsson, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kristensen, Jørgensen, Santin, Cornelius.

Goals: Cornelius (28'), Nworuh, AC Horsens (33').

Referee: Henning Jensen.