League Play-Off

Bjørn Myhres Plass
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Bendik Bakka made the kick off and thus started the match. After 4 played minutes Rjukan IL got a freekick which was hit by Jarl Kristiansen. After having played for 5 minutes, Bendik Bakka managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Melsbø's supporters crossed their fingers, but Bendik Bakka was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Marius Fjeldberg's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Lars-Olav Berdal read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 7th minute of play. When Peder Urdal fell near the penalty area in the 7th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Melsbø's protests and gave Peder Urdal a yellow card for diving instead. Peder Urdal hit a great freekick 8 minutes into the match. When Jon Bertelsen fell near the penalty area in the 9th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Melsbø's protests and gave Jon Bertelsen a yellow card for diving instead. After 9 played minutes Melsbø got a freekick which was hit by Jon Bertelsen. Espen Bjørge recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 10th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. In the 16th minute, Jon Bertelsen had to be helped off the field due to a pulled leg muscle. After 16 minutes, Hans Bjørnsen mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Rjukan IL and the Melsbø players grew even worse after the yellow card. Cai Krogstad sent away a hard shot on goal in the 19th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Lars-Olav Berdal showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Marius Fjeldberg, who was totally free with the ball in the 23rd minute. In the 31st minute, Espen Bjørge got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. If Espen Bjørge had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 33rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After 37 played minutes Rjukan IL got a freekick which was hit by Hans Bjørnsen. In the 41st minute, Marius Fjeldberg got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. An unexpectedly hard shot by Marius Fjeldberg in the 44th minute of play forced Rjukan IL's goalkeeper Lars-Olav Berdal to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. After the first half the score was level. The break gave the players a chance to catch their breath, whilst the managers went over the tactics with them again.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Espen Bjørge was the one to do the kick off. The audience was convinced that Espen Bjørge's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Øivind Mentzoni was relentless in the 54th minute of the game. 55 minutes into the match, Cai Krogstad had an open shot that he just couldn't miss and scored to the right of Øivind Mentzoni. Melsbø's manager could be seen yelling to the referee that Cai Krogstad was offside, but the referee ignored the protest. 1-0. The crowd rose to their feet as Melsbø's Peder Urdal slotted home a wonderful shot that went in to the left of Lars-Olav Berdal. That made the score 1-1 after 61 minutes of play. When Marius Fjeldberg came up free with the goalie in the 68th minute, the Melsbø fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Marius Fjeldberg couldn't finish the play. Bendik Bakka hit a great freekick 71 minutes into the match. After 71 played minutes, Rjukan IL's Jarl Kristiansen shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Øivind Mentzoni came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in Rjukan IL reached it. After a defensive mix-up in Melsbø's zone, Cai Krogstad stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Øivind Mentzoni came out of the goal and Cai Krogstad tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. If Marius Fjeldberg had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 81st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. If Cai Krogstad had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 92nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After 93 played minutes Melsbø got a freekick which was hit by Bendik Bakka. Cai Krogstad sent away a hard shot on goal in the 97th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance.