League

Home for Christmas
Spectators: 7700 (Terracing: 5775, Seating: 1771, VIP seats: 154) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Rune Tronstad started the match with the kick off. Jan-Frode Aarseth made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Vebjørn Bjørnstad in the 6th minute of play. Romualdo Gibert fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 9th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Jan-Frode Aarseth having to interfere. After a defensive mix-up in NTA19's zone, Marcu Hrebenciuc stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Jan-Frode Aarseth came out of the goal and Marcu Hrebenciuc tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Romualdo Gibert struck a weak shot in the 12th minute. Jan-Frode Aarseth didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Maria Mena. The supporters of Maria Mena booed when NTA19 was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 17 match minutes in a wonderful position. Jan-Kenneth Frøystad didn't get a good kick on the ball. An unexpectedly hard shot by Marcu Hrebenciuc in the 20th minute of play forced NTA19's goalkeeper Jan-Frode Aarseth to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Brede Woll during the 23rd minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. A collision led to NTA19 getting a freekick after 23 minutes play. Brede Woll hit a great ball. Chris Lode kicked well hit freekick during the 32nd minute of the match. Jan-Frode Aarseth made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Romualdo Gibert in the 35th minute of play. In the 39th match minute, NTA19 was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Jan-Kenneth Frøystad to maneuver through the defense. Jan-Frode Aarseth made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Romualdo Gibert in the 40th minute of play. When Vebjørn Bjørnstad came up free with the goalie in the 42nd minute, the Maria Mena 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 Vebjørn Bjørnstad couldn't finish the play. Romualdo Gibert might have been able to make a better finish in the 44th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Jan-Frode Aarseth. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Romualdo Gibert ran back to his position shaking his head. NTA19's Jan-Frode Aarseth played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Vebjørn Bjørnstad in the 47th minute of play.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Marcu Hrebenciuc to make the kick off. Jan-Frode Aarseth made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Romualdo Gibert in the 51st minute of play. The audience was convinced that Marcu Hrebenciuc's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Jan-Frode Aarseth was relentless in the 57th minute of the game. After some careless play in the Maria Mena defense, Rune Grøndalen kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Egil Hagen. The Maria Mena fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Egil Hagen should have stopped the shot. A collision led to NTA19 getting a freekick after 74 minutes play. John Magnusson hit a great ball. After 75 played minutes, Maria Mena's Vebjørn Bjørnstad shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Jan-Frode Aarseth 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 Maria Mena reached it. Jan-Frode Aarseth showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Romualdo Gibert in the 81st minute of the match. Rune Tronstad sent away a hard shot on goal in the 87th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Jarl Ludviksen during the 93rd minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. After 93 played minutes Maria Mena got a freekick which was hit by Jarl Ludviksen.