Örebro lost yet another half-time lead as they fell to LB07 as Vittsjö had little luck at home to Göteborg who temporarily crawled out of the bottom two before Kvarnsveden despatched Piteå and Hammarby grabbed a worthy late point in Linköping. Elsewhere Rosengård got back to winning ways with a bizarre 6-3 over Djurgården and Eskilstuna put an end to Kristianstad’s winning run.
KIF Örebro 1-2 Limhamn Bunkeflo
Hanna Terry’s fourth goal of the year saw KIF once again head into the break the team on top on the scores, her low drive from 18-yards enough to get the better of Emma Lind. However, as has repeatedly happened to Örebro throughout the season they saw their lead dissolve after the break, the visitors more than able to pick holes in their defence as Anna Welin scooped Mia Persson’s bright ball home on the hour.
Welin was the one to give LB the lead ten minutes from time, her rolled spot-kick enough to send Carola Söberg the wrong way and keep KIF nailed to the bottom of the table, those above them pulling away as relegation looms ever nearer.
Vittsjö 0-2 Kopparbergs/Göteborg
Desperate to stop a run of six league games without a win, Göteborg were given a boost just two minutes into their match in Vittsjö when Filippa Curmark nodded over the box and into the top of the goal in her second outing of the year. With conditions far from ideal, both teams struggled with poor finishing before Elin Rubensson tucked home her penalty fifteen minutes from time after Pauline Hammarlund had been felled in the area.
The match was far from a classic but does at least give KG a glimmer of hope, three teams above them all within three points including Vittsjö who have a far better goal difference.
Rosengård 6-3 Djurgården
Without a league win in four, Rosengård were not just fast losing ground on Linköping and a chance to regain the title but looked like they could drop from a European placing, their midweek trip to Romania little to write home about. However, the side from Malmö got themselves right back on track, scoring six (or more) for the third time this season, giving Djurgården a jolt back to reality in the process.
The rout started just eight minutes in when Anja Mittag poked home from two yards out after Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir had seen her looping header crash against Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir’s bar, leaving the ‘keeper on the floor unable to scramble Mittag’s shot away. Iva Landeka doubled the advantage ten minutes later, skipping through the defence before flicking Ali Riley’s threaded ball home. Mia Jalkerud found her eighth goal of the season minutes later to bring the visitors back into it, squeezing the ball home from close range as Viggósdóttir’s clearance rebounded against her chest and skipped into the air.
Ella Masar restored the two-goal cushion six minutes before the break with a delightful curler from just outside the box, Gunnarsdóttir given no chance as the ball ripped through the air and coiled into the top corner. It wasn’t long before 3-1 became 4-1, Sanne Troelsgaard happy to keep her solid goal scoring form up with a low shot from 18-yards, the ball skipping against the surface as it rolled into the far corner, one the visiting defence nor ‘keeper will wat to see again in a hurry.
The Blue Stripes were given a slim bar of hope after the break when goals from Madeleine Stegius and Katrin Schmidt brought them within one with just under twenty minutes to play. Stegius’s chip the perfect start to the second-half for DIF and Schmidt’s from point-blank range one that did little to cover the home defence in glory.
Having given their opposition a route back in, Rosengård responded well to cut down their chances, Masar’s second of the match two minutes from time to the bottom right corner enough to leave Djurgården with no chance. A poorly timed slide from Petronella Ekroth in stoppage time enough to provide the cherry on the cake for the hosts, Masar denied her hat-trick and the match-ball when Gunnarsdóttir parried her penalty, Caroline Seger bright to tuck home the rebound.
Eskilstuna United 2-1 Kristianstad
It was a match of beautiful goals when Eskilstuna hosted a Kristianstad team looking to make it four [league] wins on the spin. The team on top, United took the lead late in the first-half when Mimmi Larsson flicked Olivia Schough deft lay-off into the roof of the net, completely wrong-footing Brett Maron. Unable to really stamp themselves into the match, KDFF were given a lifeline just three minutes after Larsson had given the hosts the lead, Mia Carlsson’s chested volley from just outside the box an instant goal of the season contender.
Without a win in their last three and having suffered some serious dips in form, the hosts amped up their pressure after the break and were duly rewarded when Schough hit her own stunner past Maron, ripping one from the left side of the box to the top right corner. The goal enough to United to claim all three points in an attempt to catch Rosengård in second.
Kvarnsveden 3-1 Piteå
Armisa Kuč grabbed her second on the year to give KIK the upper hand ten minutes before the break in Borlänge when she poked home from two-yards. Tabita Chawinga in classic form to give the hosts a second not long after the break, the Malawian quick to make it three just five minutes later, her determination in the box paying off once more.
Madelen Janogy bright for the visitors to pound on a weak back-pass from Marie Salander and carry the ball into the danger zone, slipping it past Jenny Wahlén to give the visitors a glimmer of hope in the match. Though it was too little too late and there was little PIF could offer in attack, the hosts forced to see the dying seconds out with ten after Michaela Hermansson had been sent off for an incident in the box. Down to ten and facing a spot kick, June Pedersen went for placement, doing her best to thunder the ball into the top corner, though the increase in power forced the ball to catch the underside of the crossbar before it bounced out to safety.
The loss sees PIF stay in fourth, unable to keep stride with Eskilstuna as KIK keep their noses ahead of Göteborg.
Linköping 2-2 Hammarby
Following on from their midweek trip to Cyprus, Linköping showed little signs of fatigue in the early exchanges, Jonna Andersson’s tenth minute cross able to slip all the way through and beat Emma Holmgren amongst the suspicion that it took the faintest of touches off of Tove Almqvist’s head. Bajen responded and well and settled into the match, Frida Sjöberg’s fine goal on the stroke of half-time well deserved for the tenacious attacker.
The pair remained locked at a goal a piece until after the hour when Frida Maanum struck a superb volley from just outside the box following a corner, the ball beautifully looped under the bar leaving Holmgren little chance of stopping it. Just as they had in the first-half, Hammarby dug deep and found another late equaliser, Alma Nygren’s flicked finish enough to send Julia Zigiotti’s deft ball past Cajsa Andersson.
The point enough to give Bajen a slice of hope as they sit perilously close to the drop zone, two of the three below them able to pick up points this weekend. A draw less than ideal for LFC who know that Rosengård will push them every inch of the way to the title though still seven points clear they have more than enough room to slip up again whether they want to or not.
