Avaldsnes dropped two big points at home to Arna to give LSK a window of oppertunity to sneak in and rise to the Toppserien summit when they play their game in hand (after a win away to Sandviken). Elsewhere Trondheim picked up a useful win against Bodø as Røa and Klepp both took maximum points off of Medkila and Kolbotn respectively.
Trondheims-Ørn 3-1 Grand Bodø
After the hosts had come close early and hit the woodwork, Bodø took the lead less than ten minutes in when Vilde Fjelldal scrapped to win the ball in midfield before streaking away from her marker and cutting around the defence. Her low goal-bound shot taking a nick off of Kristine Nøstmo’s hip as the goalkeeper dived on it but couldn’t stop the ball from rolling under herself and into the open goal.
Unquestionably the better team on paper, Trondheim continued to ask questions of their visitors throughout the half and drew a number of smart saves from Siiri Välimaa before the break, Oda Fugelsnes’ arrow from outside the box enough to beat the ‘keeper shortly after the restart. Looking for a winner, Svanhild Sand’s deep cross gave Tina Fremo something to jump at in the box, the attacker’s header enough to loop over the traffic and into the waiting goal. The match wrapped up in stoppage time by Fugelsnes when she nipped into the box to get onto the end of Rakel Engesvik’s lay-off, her toe-poke from 15-yards enough to beat the Finn between the sticks.
Sandviken 1-2 LSK
On the attack from the get-go, it wasn’t long before LSK had the back of the net rippling, the scorer, Guro Reiten, of little surprise either, her team ahead with her left-footed shot inside of the near post. Still looking for a foothold in the season, Sandviken made sure Cecilie Fiskerstrand had plenty to think about when they managed to go forward, the hosts within millimetres of restoring parity at a first-half corner that simply refused to cross.
The match all but put to bed when Isabell Bachor popped up at the far post to head Reiten’s 55-minute corner beyond Nora Gjøen and double the advantage for the visitors. Not willing to go down without a fight, substitute Elida Knudsen pulled the hosts within one after slipping the ball under Fiskerstrand three minutes after coming on, but with just two minutes left on the clock there was little Sandviken could do to stop LSK leaving with all three points.
Avaldsnes 2-2 Arna-Bjørnar
A team that’s seen more than their fair share of goal scoring opportunities this season, Bjørnar took the lead early on when Cecilie Redisch Kvamme arrived late into the box to sweep the loose ball into the far corner, the home defence scrappy. The parity restored two minutes later by Letícia Santos when the defender rose highest to nod Andrine Tomter’s corner over Benedicte Håland. Unmoved by losing their lead, Arna went back to work and it wasn’t long before they’d edged ahead again when Josee Nahi’s powerful shot proved just too much for Katie Fraine to hold, Amalie Eikeland smart to follow the ball and tap in from a yard out.
Unwilling to relinquish the top spot to LSK, Avaldsnes had a better time of it after the break and found an equaliser through Australian international, Emily Gielnik, after the hour. Gielnik’s strength in the area paying dividends as she regained possession twelve-yards out before slipping the ball between Ingrid Stenevik’s ankles and under Håland. The point enough to keep the team from Karmøy ahead of LSK, though the current champions have a game in hand.
Kolbotn 0-2 Klepp
A deep throw-in just before half-time proved to be the catalyst for Klepp as the hosts struggled to clear the ball from their box. Kirsty Yallop was more than happy to prod home after Hanne Kogstad had collided with Aurora Mikalsen and Ina Gausdal in the six-yard box, leaving all three in a heap and the ball loose in the area. Kogstad was involved again after the hour when she grabbed her third of the year, the ball loose in the box once more with the goal unguarded, her off-balance shot punched into the hungry goal before Mikalsen could get back to her goal line.
The result sees Klepp sitting pretty in fifth, the team picking up some real steam as Kolbotn continue to languish near the foot of the table, their season so far as questionable as the pitch at the Sofiemyr Stadion.
Røa 4-0 Medkila
It was an afternoon to forget for Medkila who not only saw goalkeeper, Megan Kufeld go off injured after the hour but without a ‘keeper on the bench her outfield replacement, Kristine Amundsen was duly sent off late in the game. The team forced to finish the game with ten, their goal difference taking another hit as they continue to search for their second point of the year.
Vilde Hasund was the one to give the hosts the lead when she found the back of the net ten minutes in, her angled shot too much for Kufeld - though for Røa that was where their game seemed to stall, Kufeld equal to their best until her withdrawal. The task proving to be too much for Amundsen as she was beaten three minutes after coming on, Therese Åsland able to wrap her shot around the inexperienced ‘keeper with ease before Nora Byom-Nilssen added a third with a weak shot from outside the box.
Medkila’s day went from bad to worse when Amundsen caught substitute Tuva Espås in the box resulting in a penalty for the hosts and her own dismissal, Fanny Johansson the next to go in goal for the visitors. Despite going the right way, there was little Johansson could do to stop Gunhild Herregården’s clinical penalty, the captain sending the ball plush into the side of the net from twelve-yards.
