Goals flow for Scandinavian hopefuls
Thursday, July 31, 2008
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Northern round-up: Scandinavian sides enjoyed a fine evening's work with Kalmar FF, FC Midtjylland and FC København all concluding their ties in double figures.
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Scandinavian sides enjoyed a fine night's work with Kalmar FF, FC Midtjylland and FC København all ending their Northern section UEFA Cup first qualifying round ties in double figures. Denmark's FC Midtjylland and Swedish league leaders Kallmar FF both put ten goals past their opponents over the course of two legs, though neither could outdo FC København whose 7-0 defeat of Cliftonville FC completed an 11-0 aggregate triumph.
Manchester City FC 2-0 EB/Streymur (agg: 4-0)
EB/Streymurgoalkeeper René Torgard's heroics were not enough to prevent the Faroese side from losing on the night at the home of Barnsley FC. Having had a volley strike the foot of the post – one of a host of chances Mark Hughes' team conjured in the opening period – first-leg scorer Martin Petrov was on target once more two minutes into the second half when he volleyed in a Darius Vassell cross at the back post. More chances came and went before Vassell rounded Torgard to complete a comfortable aggregate success for the Fair Play entrants.
FC Midtjylland 4-0 Bangor City FC (agg: 10-1)
A much changed Midtjylland lineup inflicted another heavy defeat on Welsh outfit Bangor City. After a 6-1 win the first leg, Midtjylland coach Thomas Thomasberg opted to rest some of his regulars, and it was one of the replacements, Jude Ikechukwu Nworuh, who scored twice before the break (3 & 36) to extend the Danish club's advantage. Christian Sivebæk – who returned from a loan spell with Skive IK only a few days ago – made it 3-0 (56) before Babjide Collins Babatunde (77) scored Midtjylland's tenth goal of the tie.
FC København 7-0 Cliftonville FC (agg: 11-0)
José Junior scored twice as København ruthlessly disposed of their Northern Irish opponents at the Parken Stadium. The hosts – who reached the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2006/07 – were three goals up by half-time thanks to strikes from Ailton Almeida, Junior and Atiba Hutchinson. William Kvist, Morten Nordstrand, Thomas Kristensen and Junior all then struck within 15 minutes of the start of the second half for Ståle Solbakken's side.
CS Grevenmacher 1-5 FH Hafnarfjördur (agg: 3-8)
FH scored four second-half goals without reply to overcome Luxembourg Cup winners Grevenmacher. With just a goal separating the teams after the first leg, won 3-2 by FH, the tie was still in the balance at the break as Matthias Vilhjalmsson's effort for FH was cancelled out by Sébastien Hoffmann. However, FH stepped up a gear in the second half and eased to victory courtesy of strikes from Atli Gudnason, a Tryggvi Gudmundsson double and a late goal from Björn Daniel Sverrisson.
Viking FK 2-0 FK Vėtra (agg: 2-1)
Captain Nicolaj Stokholm scored twice to turn the tie in Viking's favour. Having lost the first leg 1-0 to their Lithuanian visitors, Viking were back on level terms inside three minutes when Stokholm scored with a swerving free-kick. Viking kept pushing and got their reward when Stokholm converted a penalty eleven minutes before the break after Alexander Ødegaard had been felled. Vėtra had their chances in the second half but failed to beat Thomas Myhre in the Viking goal.
Kalmar FF 7-1 FC Racing Union Luxembourg (agg: 10-1)
Swedish Allsvenskan leaders Kalmar cruised into the next round thanks to a comprehensive victory. David Elm put the hosts ahead inside three minutes, a lead which was doubled shortly after by defender Marcus Lindberg. Erik Israelsson sent Kalmar in at the break three goals to the good and it was four within seconds of the restart when Abiola Dauda found the target. Three goals in five minutes just after the hour then followed from Stefan Larsson and Daniel Sobralense (2) before Sully Bilon struck a consolation in added time for the visitors from Luxembourg.
ÍA Akranes 2-1 FC Honka Espoo (agg: 2-4)
ÍA's victory was not enough for the Icelandic club to progress following the 3-0 first-leg defeat two weeks ago. Helgi Pétursson headed the hosts into a 15th-minute lead and hopes of a comeback were raised when Björn Bergmann Sigurdsson added a second minutes after the restart with another header. ÍA pressed for an equalising third but it was the Finnish side who struck the last goal of the tie through Jussi Vasara.
SK Liepajas Metalurgs 2-0 Glentoran FC (agg: 3-1)
Metalurgs substitute goalkeeper Viktors Spole saved a penalty and Girts Karlsons scored twice as the ten-man Latvian runners-up advanced to the second qualifying round. Aleksejs Krucs was dismissed after just three minutes for a professional foul on Jason Hill but his replacement, Spole, kept Hill's spot-kick out to prevent his team from going behind in the tie. Buoyed by their reprieve, the ten men went ahead nine minutes before half-time when Karlsons headed in a corner. Their Northern Irish visitors tried to force the initiative without success after the restart and Karlsons added a second on 86 minutes to secure Metalurgs' progress. Glentoran finished with nine men after the late dismissals of Matthew Burrows and Shane McCabe.
B36 Tórshavn 0-2 Brøndby IF (agg: 0-3)
Second-half goals from Daniel Wass and Samuel Holmén secured Brøndby a straightforward victory over B36 on artificial grass in the Faroese capital, Torshavn. Having adopted a defensive policy in the first half, B36 had to reassess their approach six minutes after the break when goalkeeper Meinhardt Joensen misjudged an inswinging free-kick from Wass which sailed into the top corner. Magnus Olsen's free-kick from 25 metres was the closest the home side came and three minutes from time, Brøndby doubled their lead thanks to a Holmén’s close-range finish.
Saint Patrick's Athletic FC 2-0 JFK Olimps (agg: 3-0)
St Patrick's eased into the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup with a 3-0 aggregate win over Lativan outfit Olimps. Having won 1-0 in the first leg in Riga, the Dublin club looked in control from the off at Richmond Park and went in front on the night when captain Jamie Harris headed in a cross by Keith Fahey after 41 minutes. Other than a 53rd-minute free-kick from Igors Tarasovs which tested home goalkeeper Barry Ryan, Olimps' attacking threat was minimal and striker Mark Quigley made sure of progression with a penalty on 70 minutes, awarded after Glenn Fitzpatrick was fouled by Alens Snelnikovs.
FC Flora 2-2 Djurgårdens IF (agg: 2-2, Djurgården win on away goals)
Goalkeeper Pa Dembo Touray made a stunning save in added time to deny substitute Sander Post a tie-winning hat-trick for Flora as Djurgården scraped through on away goals. Following a 0-0 first-leg draw, Djurgården took the lead in the 23rd minute, Jones Kusi-Asare crossing for Brazilian forward Enrico Cardoso Nazaré to head home, and Prince Ikpe Ekong made it 2-0 following a passing move nine minutes after the interval. Post then tested Touray with a 71st-minute header before scoring twice from ten metres out in the space of 90 seconds, but the keeper denied him a treble to save the day for the Swedish side.
The New Saints FC 0-1 FK Sūduva (agg: 0-2)
Sūduva repeated their feat from the first leg, scoring late to dash TNS's hopes of securing a maiden aggregate win in UEFA club competition. Winger Ivans Lukjanovs scored the only goal five minutes from time at Latham Park in Newtown to give the Lithuanian visitors a 2-0 aggregate success. Sūduva also had a shot cleared off the line but were indebted to goalkeeper Armantas Vitkauskas who made fine saves in each half to deny first Thomas Holmes and then Alfonso Carter. The former Welsh Premier League champions have yet to win a tie in ten European campaigns.
FC Haka 4-0 Cork City FC (agg: 6-2)
Two goals inside the opening 15 minutes laid the foundations for Haka's comfortable victory over Cork. Janne Mahlakaarto (10) and Valeri Popovich (15) put the hosts two goals ahead on aggregate, having been played in on both occasions by Toni Lehtinen. The Finnish Veikkausliiga side remained untroubled after the break and further strikes by Mikko Manninen and Valeri Minkenen secured a comprehensive victory in Valkeakoski.