In the penultimate week of the 2017 Damallsvenskan season, Kvarnsveden were the second team relegated this season after a home loss to Rosengård, with Vittsjö’s drawing against Örebro and KG grabbing all three points in Gothenburg against Djurgården.
Already having secured their safety, Hammarby played out a draw against Kristianstad and Piteå hit four past LB07 and Eskilstuna hammered Linköping.
Kvarnsveden 1-3 Rosengård
Needing a win to get them back to safety, KIK had a challenge on their hands at home to FCR, Ebba Wieder’s bullet header from Sanne Troelsgaard’s whipped cross just before the half hour enough to have the hosts sagging. Wieder doubled the advantage ten minutes later, lurking in the box to nip onto Ali Riley’s cross from the left and slam it past Jenny Wahlén before being denied her hattrick by Wahlén’s fingertips moments later.
Still battling in the match but off of the pace, Kvarnsveden were undone for a third and final time twenty minutes before the whistle when Troelsgaard was left unmarked and free to race onto another neat cross from Riley and volley home.
Despite the loss, Tabitha Chawinga was still able to grab a late consolation – her 25th goal of the year the most by any one player since Manon Melis in 2010 – when she nudged the ball over Zecira Musovic after the ‘keeper had failed to hold onto it. With one match still to play, Kvarnsveden were safe at the time, KG’s win the next day enough to make the difference insurmountable and leave KIK relegated no matter what happens at the Vilans IP next week.
Linköping 0-6 Eskilstuna
Lisa Lantz’s flicked own goal five minutes into the match was the start of a bad day for the team who’d just secured the title, Eskilstuna denying them a lap of honour as they bounced back from a bruising loss last time out.
The better team from the off, United made their dominance count when Loreta Kullashi got the better of Lantz to find herself in space in the box, the breakout star calm to slide the ball under Matilda Haglund. Although the game slowed down after the second goal, it was still mostly one-way traffic before Vaila Barsley was left free to run at a Fiona Brown corner after the hour, the tall defender making light work of connecting in the air to hammer her header into the back of the net for a third.
Brown was involved again four minutes later when she got taken down by Wilma Thörnqvist in the box, Kullashi’s coolly taken penalty more than enough to beat Haglund and put the game well out of reach. The 20-year-old ‘keeper’s day soon went from bad to worse when she inadvisably charged out of her box five minutes later during an Eskilstuna counter. Mimmi Larsson more than composed to slip between the centre-backs and beat Haglund to the ball, leaving the trio behind to roll the ball into the open net before wheeling away in celebration. The rout completed at the death by Kullashi who was first to the ball after Haglund had failed to hold onto it as she denied Elin Rombing a goal scoring opportunity, Kullashi lost by Lantz once more as she took a touch and fired home for her first Damallsvenskan hat trick.
Vittsjö 2-2 KIF Örebro
Hovering just above the drop zone, Vittsjö needed something from their match again already relegated Örebro to give them a degree of safety going into the last game of the season. Linda Sällström connection five-yards out enough to give them a boost, the lead was however short-lived as Michelle De Jongh instantly restored parity from a similar range at the other end.
Having the better of it, Vittsjö and Sällström were denied a second at the start of the second half when the Finn smashed her shot from 20-yards against the underside of the bar only for it to bounce clear. With the hosts unable to clear the ball at a corner, Julia Spetsmark gave KIF the lead for the first time in the game as she spun on the spot and raked the ball home on the turn.
As time fast ran out for the hosts, they had one last chance at the start of stoppage time to salvage a point, Hannah Wilkinson’s superb half-volley from a hopeful Johanna Andersson ball forward enough to Carola Söberg and secure their safety.
Piteå 4-1 Limhamn Bunkeflo
In a thoroughly dominant home performance, PIF gave their bid for third a boost with a comprehensive win over LB07, Felicia Karlsson’s tenth minute goal enough to set the tone as it slipped in off of the upright.
The chances continued to flow for the hosts at the LF Arena though it wasn’t until after the break that the hosts could double their tally, Karlsson’s low effort enough to slip by Emma Lind. Moments after seeing a low drive bounce off of the inside of the post and stay out, Madelen Janogy made no mistake when she swept home June Pedersen’s poor parried penalty.
Just five minutes after Elin Björklund had caught Elin Bragnum in the away box leading to PIF’s third, Faith Ikidi was adjudged to have handled into the home box and Laura Rapp was pointing to the spot once more. Mia Persson clinical from 12-yards as she sent Hilda Carlén the wrong way and perfectly picked out the bottom left corner, the comeback ruled out seconds later when Anna Welin’s low strike was chalked off as the visitors began to celebrate.
Having overcome some late pressure from their opposition, Piteå extended their lead to three once again as Karlsson completed her hat trick, the rangy attacker happy to chase down Josefin Johansson’s long ball and fight off Malin Winberg before chipping the ball over Lind.
Kopparbergs/Göteborg 1-0 Djurgården
Needing a win to secure Damallsvenskan safety and avoiding the stress of taking it to the last day, KG settled well into the game at home, pushing to the front foot early and seeing the lion’s share of chances. The finishing a little off until Adelina Engman smashed Elin Rubensson’s inch-perfect cross beyond Guðbjörg Gunnarsdóttir with a perfectly controlled volley.
The chances continued to flow for the hosts, though poor decision making was their undoing, Pauline Hammarlund’s turn and shoot ten minutes from time the closest they came again, the ball ricocheting off of the bar. A late drive from DIF gave Göteborg pause for thought but finishing the season with far more defensive reliance than they started the hosts saw out the win to confirm their top flight status for 2018.
Hammarby 1-1 Kristianstad
In a quiet first half, Amanda Edgren’s chested volley was enough to get the crowd going in Stockholm as the ball smashed against the inside of the crossbar before bouncing inside of the goal line and out. Shading the chances, Bajen drew level soon after the break when Julia Zigiotti swept the ball home after Kajsa Sund had failed to connect with her acrobatic shot 12 yards out.
The two traded chances, Hammarby already safe after KIK’s loss the previous day but like Kristianstad, looking for a strong finish to the season. Though it was for naught and a lack of final ball kept the scores loss, a double yellow to in stoppage time Ogonna Chukwudi the only late drama at the Grimsta IP.
