Hat trick were the order of business in the midweek Damallsvenskan action, Mimmi Larsson, Maja Kildemoes and Linda Sällström all netting at least three for their respective teams as the top three stayed unchanged despite Rosengård dropping points to Örebro and LB07 picked up a useful win over Hammarby. Elsewhere, Vittsjö registered a firm win over Djurgården and Kristianstad gave themselves a big boosts with a win over Piteå.

Eskilstuna United 4-1 Kvarnsveden

Table toppers Eskilstuna eased to a win over Kvarnsveden due in no little part to Mimmi Larsson’s hat trick, the Swedish international a live wire throughout as the hosts dominated their visitors.

Breaking the deadlock just before the half hour, Larsson finished from close range when she toe-poked Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir’s knock-down past Jenny Wahlén. The lead doubled five minutes before the break by an in-form Olivia Schough when she sent her direct free-kick over the wall and into the bottom corner, the bounce taking the ball away from a diving Wahlén,

The hosts continued to run rampant after the break and Larsson soon got her second of the night with a fine solo effort, switching on the after-burners to reach a long ball before cutting around Melisa Hasanbegović and letting fly across the box into the bottom corner. Although even the league leaders – with the best defensive record in the league so far – couldn’t stop Tabita Chawinga from getting on the scoresheet for the ninth time this season.

Starting her attack, thirty yards from her own goal, the Malawian slipped away from Petra Johansson with ease before striding into the attacking half, paying no mind to Ingrid Schjelderup or Vaila Barsley as they tried to close her down and slipped the ball past Emelie Lundberg at the near post from twelve yards.

With the match well won there was still time for Larsson to put the cherry on top as she completed her hat trick in stoppage time, holding her line well before breaking behind to pick up Malin Diaz’ through ball and firing beyond Wahlén. The win keeps United top, their unbeaten record still very much in tact. 

Linköping 5-1 Kopparbergs/Göteborg

Whilst Larsson and Eskilstuna were banging them in against Kvarnsveden, Maja Kildemoes was doing much the same for Linköping against KG, the defender turned attacker on hand to score her first, second, third and fourth Damallsvenskan goals.

With Fanny Lund only able to turn Marija Banušić’s wrapped effort towards her boots, Kildemoes first for LFC was more insistence than anything else, a toe stuck at the ball to see it knocked home. If her first came with a touch of luck then her second was pure skill, running onto Lisa Lantz’ deep ball she turned Elin Landström before looping the ball over the box and Lund, to give the host a two-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time

Half-time substitute Rebecka Blomqvist had an immediate impact as she flicked Pauline Hammarlund’s flashed ball past Cajsa Andersson to slash the deficit in two at the start of the second-half.

However wayward in their finishing and seeing increasingly less of the ball it wasn’t long before the visitors were two gaols down again when Jonna Andersson hammered the ball into the near corner at a very swiftly taken free kick. Kildemoes third a gift from the visitors; Landström’s attempted clearance falling perfectly to the Dane before she wrong-footed the defender and slipped the ball under Lund.

Even after being pushed back into the defence there was still time for Kildemoes to find a fifth with a half-volley from fifteen yards, the Göteborg defence lackadaisical at a late corner and the new signing able to get a clean shot away.

The win keeps the current champions in touching distance of United and sees Göteborg fall to another heavy defeat by one of the teams above them. 

Vittsjö 4-1 Djurgården

Possibly inspired by the hat tricks the previous day, Linda Sällström went one better than Larsson and Kildemoes by not just wrapping up her trio inside of the first sixteen minutes but scoring one with her head, her left and her right for a perfect hat trick.

Off the mark seven minutes in the hosts lead when Sällström got just enough on her looped header from Lisa Klinga’s peach of a cross to best Petra Kümin, the ‘keeper undone again two minutes later when the Finnish international poked the ball towards the far corner after a searing run through the attacking third. Sällström’s hat trick wrapped up with a delightful chip from 20-yards after the attacker held her line well to break in behind and lob Hannah Wilkinson’s lofted ball over Kümin.

With a mountain to climb, DIF came out revitalised for the second-half and leading by example, captain Mia Jalkerud pulled one back for the visitors, four minutes into the half. Beaten once but not again, Shannon Lynn did well to keep Djurgården out and Vittsjö comfortably ahead until substitute Clara Markstedt reopened the gap, flicking Sällström’s lay-off past Kümin in the last knockings. 

Hammarby 1-2 Limhamn Bunkeflo

In their first meeting as Damallsvenskan teams, LB07 picked up where they left off from against Hammarby, Michaela Johnsson the lone-goalscorer last November the one to open the scores in Stockholm. Johnsson quick to react to Eveline Parikka’s ball over the top before flicking it across goal and into the far side of the net, half-way through the first-half. A neat move five minutes before the break saw the visitors cut around the hosts with some sharp passing before a lucky nutmeg saw Mia Persson slip around Sejde Abrahamsson before firing the ball just out of Emma Holmgren’s reach.

It was an afternoon for captains when Olga Ekblom cut the visitor’s lead in half, sending the ball home from close range after Emma Lind had pushed Anna Oskarsson’s driven effort back into the six-yard box. Despite some good chances, Hammarby couldn’t find a way through again and Limhamn Bunkeflo claimed their third win of the year. The loss, coupled with Kristianstad's win later in the day pushed HIF back into the bottom two at this early point of the season. 

Rosengård 2-2 KIF Örebro

Rosengård started the brighter of the two but it was KIF who got on the scoresheet first, when Emma Jansson calmly put the ball past Erin McLeod in the 15th minute. The lead lasted until after the hour when rightback Lina Nilsson made it 1-1, needing the points to keep up with the top two, Rosengård pushed for the winning goal and ten minutes before ten their efforts paid off when Lotta Schelin popped up with what they thought was the winner. However, FCR's joy was short-lived when, just four minutes later, Jansson spoiled the party to grab her second of the game and restore parity.

With little left on the clock, the hosts couldn't find a winner, the two dropped points for them possibly of more consequence than the lone point for KIF, who remain bottom.  

Kristianstad 1-0 Piteå IF

Despite a real lack of shots, both sides were giving each other plenty to think about, Brett Maron and Hilda Carlén consistently on their toes as both home and away threatened throughout the first-half. Still an open game, good pressure from the hosts saw them take the lead just before the hour, the ball cleared out as far as Hanna Sandström for the attacker to chest it down and clip it into the top corner. 

Unquestionably a team better at home, Piteå, whilst staying in the match offered little in the way of real threat after the break, the ball more often than not in the half they were trying to defend, even June Pedersen’s delivery couldn’t get them going. Conversely, KDFF continued to carry a threat into the last knockings, the win – their second of the year – enough to take them out of the bottom two.

Damallsvenskan table as it stands (Credit: SvFF)
Damallsvenskan table as it stands (Credit: SvFF)
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About the author
Sophie Lawson
Neutral football fan travelling around Europe, covering matches and bothering footballers for interviews