Sweden: Norrköping grateful to Wallerstedt

IFK Norrköping will be playing Swedish first division football next season after securing a narrow 4-3 aggregate win over Mjällby AIF in the promotion/relegation play-off on Saturday.

Wallerstedt double
Jonas Wallerstedt scored twice as Norrköping, 2-1 down from Thursday's first leg, secured a 3-1 second leg win in front on their own fans. Wallerstedt opened the scoring for the home side after 27 minutes, only to see his effort cancelled out three minutes later by Torbjorn Nilsson's strike.

Great record
However, Norrköping, who have only dropped out of the top flight once since the 1940s, went 2-1 up through Mikael Blomberg 16 minutes into the second period, and when Wallerstedt grabbed his second of the night a minute later, the 12-time champions were in the driving seat.

Coach 'hopes to stay’
Mjällby battled manfully throughout the remainder of the match but failed to get another breakthrough. Nörrkoping coach Tor-Arne Fredheim, who is reported to be on his way out of the club, was delighted with the victory. "First I will celebrate the win and securing Allsvenskanliga football with the lads," he said. "Then I must wait and see what the board decide about my future. I hope to stay in the club in some way."