LSK returned to winning ways with a narrow victory over nearest chases, Avaldsnes as Røa, Vålerenga and Stabæk all claimed respective wins over Kolbotn, Arna and Grand. TØ picked up their sixth win of the season away to Medkila whilst Klepp were held scoreless by Sandviken.
LSK 1-0 Avaldsnes
Still reeling from their first league loss since November 2015, LSK were keen to pick up maximum points at home to an Avaldsnes team who could have gone four points ahead with a win. With a massive advantage on the line, neither side were willing to relent in attack, both saw a healthy number of chances, the visitors livelier in the first-half and LSK more dominant after the break. After catching both sides of the bar on either side of the break, the hosts finally took the lead nine minutes from time, Guro Reiten’s superb pass enough to pick out substitute Silje Blakstad who rolled the ball under Katie Fraine and into the open net. The win takes the reigning champions two points clear at the top with a game in hand over Avaldsnes.
Røa 2-0 Kolbotn
Lisa-Marie Utland struck twice to lift Røa to fourth and leap-frog Guro Reiten to first in the hunt for the Toppserien golden boot.
Seeing more of the ball and the better chances in and around the box, Utland broke the deadlock just after the half-hour when she brought the ball down and swept it into the bottom corner, past Julie Klæboe. The busier of the two ‘keepers, Klæboe did little to cover herself in glory half-way through the second-half when Utland broke beyond and rounded the felled goalie before slotting into the empty net.
Arna-Bjørnar 2-3 Vålerenga
Josee Nahi’s first minute header set the pace for an engrossing game of football at the Arna Stadion, the Ivorian on hand to poke home at the free kick three minutes later to leave the hosts cruising. With more of a footing in the match, Anne Olsen gave VIF a life-line ten minutes before the break with a fine dipping shot from outside of the area, Alyssa Giannetti well beaten between the sticks.
The game turned on its’ head seven minutes into the second-half when Emilie Nautnes was shown a bizarre second yellow card as she was making her way off the pitch to be substituted, reducing the hosts to ten. With the wind blowing more in their favour, Vålerenga soon equalised with a superb free kick from Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir, the ball looping over the wall before slipping down and into the top corner from 20-yards. Elise Krieghoff completed both the come-back and hat-trick of super strikes with an over-head kick in stoppage time, the American on her bike to net the visitors all three points.
Klepp 0-0 Sandviken
Despite plenty of intent from both hosts and visitors, neither team could find that all important ball to get the better of each other, the point far more valuable to Sandviken who are doing all they can to stay clear of the drop zone. For Klepp the draw only exposes their weaknesses as they slip to fifth, although the Tractor Girls have a goal in hand over the Røa side who overtook them to go fourth.
Medkila 0-2 Trondheims-Ørn
TØ picked up their third win on the bounce away to Medkila leaving the Harstad team still searching for their first win of the season. Julie Adserø’s was jonny on the spot for the visitors as her initial effort at a corner dropped back to her, able to get the ball back under control she took her shot on the half-volley to fire the visitors ahead less than ten minutes in.
Despite a concerted drive forward there was little Medkila could do to find the better of the travelling defence or Kristine Nøstmo, the match all but won when Ellen Melhus headed home at another far-post corner delivery just before the break. Denied a consolation goal after the break when Crystal Thomas was flagged offside after flicking the ball beyond Nøstmo, 2017 continues to be a miserable year for the northern most team in the league.
Grand Bodø 1-2 Stabæk
Andrea Wilmann gave the visitors the lead seven minutes in at the Nordlandshallen when she got to Melissa Bjånesøy’s deft lay-off just ahead of Savannah Francis to put the ball beyond Siiri Välimaa. Trine Rønning’s near-post flicked header was enough to leave Välimaa scrambling, her attempted clearance all too late as the visitors doubled their advantage through the Norwegian veteran to leave them coasting to the break.
Vilde Fjelldal’s solo goal after the hour made for an interesting finish with Grand chasing the game after the teenager had out-run Stine Reinås and worked enough room in the box to slip the ball under Ingrid Hjelmseth. But always second best in the match there was little more the hosts could do and were consigned to their fourth consecutive loss, Stabæk still in touching distance of the top two.
