League Play-Off

Åboren
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The mood of the audience was pleasant when Verner Hernæs made the kick off which started today's match. After a defensive mix-up in Åboren IF's zone, Reidar Bilstad stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Dag Furuli came out of the goal and Reidar Bilstad tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Åboren IF's Dag Furuli played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Øyvind Huynh in the 9th minute of play. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Sigve Martinsen in the 14th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Dag Furuli prevented the ball from getting in the gole. Reidar Bilstad received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 15th minute. Dag Furuli tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 19th minute Reidar Bilstad shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Dag Furuli saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After a defensive mix-up in Åboren IF's zone, Øyvind Huynh stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Dag Furuli came out of the goal and Øyvind Huynh tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Emanuel Reitan made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Verner Hernæs in the 30th minute of play. When Reidar Bilstad came up free with the goalie in the 31st minute, the Hammeren 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 Reidar Bilstad couldn't finish the play. In the 40th minute the ball was on its way in behind Åboren IF's goalkeeper Dag Furuli, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. The audience thought a goal was coming when Jarle Skinnes got free with Emanuel Reitan in the 45th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. 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.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Øyvind Huynh to make the kick off. Øyvind Huynh fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 56th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Dag Furuli having to interfere. Dag Furuli took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Øyvind Huynh, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. After having played for 60 minutes, Reidar Bilstad managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Hammeren's supporters crossed their fingers, but Reidar Bilstad was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. After 62 minutes, Espen Ims mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Åboren IF and the Hammeren players grew even worse after the yellow card. After a rather tough play, Åboren IF's Espen Ims got a free kick in the 62nd minute. The supporters of Hammeren booed when Åboren IF was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 67 match minutes in a wonderful position. Magnus Mentzoni didn't get a good kick on the ball. A hard shot by John-Edvin Nygård from long distance, 67 minutes into the match, got Dag Furuli's attention. Through a fast twist with his body, he could stop the ball from going in on his right side. In the 70th match minute, Åboren IF was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Tor-Egil Husa to maneuver through the defense. Øyvind Huynh struck a weak shot in the 72nd minute. Dag Furuli didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Hammeren. Reidar Bilstad could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 84th minute of the match, but Dag Furuli made a huge save. Dag Furuli made a fantastic save in the 91st minute, when Reidar Bilstad sent off a good shot on target.