At the top Piteå and Rosengård lost to Kristianstad and Linköping as Göteborg closed the gap with a win away to Djurgården, elsewhere Eskilstuna and Vittsjö battled for a point a piece as LB07 put the breaks of Växjö and Hammarby sunk bottom-placed Kalmar.
Eskilstuna United 1-1 Vittsjö
Kicking off the ninth round of fixtures, Eskilstuna entertained Vittsjö, both sides in need of a win to ease them away from the drop zone. The chances flowed for both but finishing was at a premium at the Tunavallen, Linda Sällström’s sliding finish enough to put the ball home ahead of Emelie Lundberg. The advantage lasted just fifteen minutes before Vaila Barsley side-footed Felicia Karlsson’s flick into the unguarded side of the net, restoring parity with ten minutes left. The defender’s goal enough for a point a piece.
Växjö 0-1 Limhamn Bunkeflo
A surprise package so far this season, Växjö could have cut the discance between themselves and the top two down to three points with a win but last season’s surprise side, LB07 proved to be worthy opposition. The defining moment of the match at the Myresjöhus Arena coming eight minutes from time when Mia Persson tucked the ball home from two yards after Katie Fraine had bundled Sofia Wännerdahl cross. The win enough to see the visitors leapfrog Växjö in a congested table.
Kristianstad 2-1 Piteå
Off of the back of two losses, KDFF found their fourth win of the season to stop the rot and lift them to fourth as their opposition lost a second on the bounce. Looking lively, the hosts took the lead ten minutes before the break at a deep free kick, Amanda Edgren’s lopping header enough to beat Casja Andersson as it dropped just under the bar. The 24-year-old taking her tally for the season to four as she doubled the advantage soon after the break when she chased Alice Nilsson’s pass into the box and slotted it home.
Off of the pace in Kristianstad, PIF found a route back into the match when Julia Karlernäs slipped her penalty into the bottom right corner, the goal a conciliation as the hosts ran out winners.
Kalmar 0-4 Hammarby
Having come off of the boil this season, Bajen produced a match winning performance when they visited league strugglers, Kalmar. Neat footwork from Julia Zigiotti enough to give the visitors the lead 11 minutes in at Gröndals IP, the 20-year-old involved against just after the break to nod a second in. In a match of one-way traffic, it wasn’t long until Hammarby extended their lead, Emma Jansson’s rocket to the top right corner form the edge of the box the pick of the bunch. The rout wrapped up by Alexandra Lindberg two minutes from time when she flicked a header over Tove Enblom at an Elise Kellond-Knight free kick.
Rosengård 1-2 Linköping
Having seen Piteå lose over the weekend, Rosengård were well poised to leapfrog their northern rivals and claim the top spot for the first time this season, though current champions Linköping had different ideas. Having consistently struggled to best Rosengård since winning their first title, the visitors claimed first blood when Filippa Angeldal fired them ahead at an uncleared Natasha Dowie effort.
With both goalkeepers regularly called into action it was Matilda Haglund who was next to pick the ball out of her net after overcommitting and letting Anja Mittag go around her and roll the ball home. Knocking on the door, it was the hosts who succumbed to a late goal, Dowie’s sprint up the dead-ball line enough to see her open up enough space to slot the ball under Zećira Mušović and claim all three points.
Djurgården 0-2 Kopparbergs/Göteborg
Extending her tally to three for the season, Rebecca Blomqvist have the visitors the lead seven minutes after the break at the Stockholms Stadion, the first to react as Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir parried Elin Rubensson’s tepid penalty. With the game finely poised, Olivia Schough smacked an effort against the crossbar before inflicting the hammer blow in the last ten minutes, gathering Emma Koivisto’s ball and chipping it home. The three points enough to see the low scoring side up to third and only three points shy of FCR, seemingly having found their rhythm as DIF slip to ninth.
