Still going tooth and nail, Piteå kept their three-point advantage on Rosengård with a home win over Linköping as FCR got the better of Vittsjö to remain a point ahead of Göteborg who bested Kalmar as Kristianstad kept pace with a win over Hammarby. At the other end of the table, a loss to Eskilstuna has left Djurgården hanging over the danger zone with Limhamn Bunkeflo’s win over Växjö giving the Malmö team a lifeline.
Hammarby 0-1 Kristianstad
Still keeping pace with the top three if not a step behind, Kristianstad have kept themselves in a position to pounce should one or two above them falter.
Hammarby were denied an early goal when Becky Edwards’ header pinged off of the crossbar and bounced as Moa Olsson frantically clawing the ball out. With the officials ruling that the ball hadn’t fully crossed, Emma Jansson was then flagged for offside as she nudged the ball beyond Olsson.
The effort one of Bajen’s best and a costly error as Amanda Edgren nodded the visitors ahead just before the break. Desperate for a cushion, KDFF couldn’t get the better of Emma Holmgren, the lone goal proving to just be enough.
Limhamn Bunkeflo 2-1 Växjö
Having taken the lead nine minutes in through a superb free kick from Anna Anvegård, the visitors had little reply to the determined LB team they faced. Knocking at the door all game, it took until the 70 minute for the hosts to find an equaliser when Rakel Hönnudóttir got the better of Katie Fraine. Heading for a point a piece, LB gave their survival hopes a boost with a last-minute goal from Julia Welin, the second half substitute pouncing on confusion in the box to poke home.
Vittsjö 1-2 Rosengård
Not having things their own way, the visitors found the breakthrough in first half stoppage time when Anja Mittag’s vicious effort slipped behind Shannon Lynn and in. Not deterred, the hosts pulled level through Alexandra Benediktsson at a corner early in the second half, Vittsjö unable to take the lead at a subsequent set piece. Needing another ten minutes, FCR got their noses in front once again, Lynn caught in no man’s land as she dived to clear Sanne Troelsgaard’s effort, Mittag lurking with intent to volley the ball home.
Kopparbergs/Göteborg 5-1 Kalmar
In a match with plenty happening, the hosts got back to winning ways against a Kalmar team confirmed for relegation. Taking the lead 15 minutes in when Julia Zigiotti sent Rebecca Blomqvist’s square ball into the empty net, Göteborg doubled their lead ten minutes later as Olivia Schough picked her spot to wrap the ball around Tove Enblom.
Down but still swinging, Kalmar pulled one back when Erin Gunther nailed a volley from 25-yards, the bounce taking the ball away from Loes Geurts. Avoiding any shocking moments, the title-chasers countered expertly at a second half corner, Schough’s ball to set Blomqvist away enough for the young striker to show her individual skills.
In her second cameo of the season, Pauline Hammarlund wasted little time in giving Goteeborg a fourth, her trademark bullet header enough to leave Enblom picking the ball out again. The gloss put on by Blomqvist eight minutes from time, her powerful shot from the top of the box leaving the ‘keeper with no chance. Worse still for Kalmar, the visitors had to see the last knockings out with ten players after Gunther was given her marching orders for picking up two yellow cards in six minutes.
Piteå 4-2 Linköping
With Stephanie Labbé away with Canada and Matilda Haglund too soon back from an injury, the champions once again found themselves short between the sticks, 17-year-old Julia Nyström showing her frailties throughout. Chasing the title and not willing to give up any ground at the top, PIF took the lead six minutes in when Nina Jakobsson rose well to nod a cross beyond Nyström.
The lead barely lasted two minutes before Lina Hurtig pulled LFC level, the visitors unlucky not up to be at a corner minutes later when Ronja Aronsson flicked the ball off of the line. The wasted chance coming back to bite Linköping when Julia Karlernäs nodded the hosts back ahead just before the break. Not to be discouraged, LFC pulled level again less than ten minutes into the second half when Johanna Rasmussen combined well with Hurtig. Regaining the lead with a touch of luck, the buck stopped with Nyström once again as the young ‘keeper let Cecilia Edlund’s cross-cum-shot slide off of her gloves and into the hungry goal.
From there, things went downhill fast for the visitors, a serious injury to Rasmussen had them down to ten, leaving Piteå a man up and sharp to stretch their advantage. Before the injured Dane had even made it halfway around the perimeter on a stretcher, Karlernäs had nodded in a fourth at a very scrappy corner.
Eskilstuna United 3-1 Djurgården
On the scoreboard 13 minutes in after a well-struck penalty by Mimmi Larsson, the hosts were almost unlucky not to have doubled their advantage when a misjudged chest down from Portia Boakye had Jennifer Pelley spinning to clear the ball off the line.
The advantage was however doubled by Larsson soon after the break, the striker’s solo goal enough to leave DIF needing a miracle. Mia Jalkerud’s header two minutes later gave the visitors a route back into the match before Julia Tunturi reopened the gap with a sublime strike from range.
