Ben Gilby rounds up all the action from a hugely important week of action in the Damallsvenskan and Elitettan action (7/6/22).
Above: Sensational action from Djurgården‘s game with IFK Kalmar in Round 12. Photo: DIF.
DAMALLSVENSKAN
The top two went head to head on Friday night with second-placed Linköping hosting leaders Rosengård in front of a bumper crowd of 2,609. It was a game full of action at the Linköping Arena.
Fresh from their Svenska Cupen Final success last week, Rosengård hit the front on the half-hour mark as Loretta Kullashi netted. However, the lead lasted just four minutes as Nellie Karlsson levelled for the hosts. Just before the break, the goal momentum shifted back to the defending champions as Kullashi grabbed hers and Rosengård’s second.
The key breakthrough came 20 minutes from time as Guðrún Arnardóttir headed home Jelena Čanković’s corner to put the visitors 3-1 ahead. Once more though, Linköping hit back almost immediately as Therese Simonsson gave the home side renewed hope. The pendulum swung back towards the visitors with 11 minutes remaining when Mimmi Larsson supplied the pass for Olivia Schough to re-establish her team’s two-goal lead. There was the potential for late drama when Linköping got back to 4-3 when the assistant referee ruled that the ball had just gone over the line off of Rosengård goalkeeper Teagan Micah, but the visitors had done enough to earn a vital win in the race to retain their title.
The round got underway on Wednesday night with Djurgården gaining an important 4-0 win over IFK Kalmar as they continued their positive run of form in front of 431 happy fans at Stockholm Stadium. The game was ultimately decided with three goals in an 11-minute spell in the early stages of the action. With just eight minutes of the clock, Tilde Lindwall supplied the ball for Stinalisa Johansson to put the home side ahead. Within 120 seconds, Tove Almqvist played in Hayley Dowd to double Djurgården’s lead. On 19 minutes, Lindwall was involved again as she fed Almqvist to make it 3-0. Sara Vidlund found Luva Lundin to make it 4-0 in stoppage time at the end of the game.
BK Häcken took advantage of Linköping‘s defeat to Rosengård to move back into second with a 5-1 win at IF Brommapojkarna in front of 142 fans. Three goals in a 24-minute spell ultimately settled matters. Anna Csiki found Mille Gejl Jensen to put the visitors ahead just after the quarter of an hour mark before Jensen turned supplier for Pauline Hammerlund to make it 2-0. Jensen was back on the scoresheet with 36 minutes played after being played in by Stine Larsen. There was another flurry of goals in the final 12 minutes which started with Diljá Ýr Zomers extending Häcken’s lead to four. Mathilda Splendor got one back near the end for the home side before Molly Johansson restored Häcken’s four-goal advantage in second-half stoppage time.
Eskilstuna United and Vittsjö, two of the sides battling to make it into the top four faced off at Tunavallen on Sunday, with neither team being able to advance their cause for potential Champions League qualification after a 0-0 draw in front of 840 fans.
Piteå came from 1-0 down to defeat Umeå IK 3-1 in the Norrland derby. It was a result which continues their fine recent form. Vilma Koivisto gave the visitors the lead on 12 minutes to the chagrin of the 721 home crowd. It was a lead that lasted for just under a quarter of an hour before Cecilia Edlund found Hanna Andersson to level. Katrina Guillo was next for the assist as she played in Anam Imo to give Piteå the lead. Imo completed the scoring with two minutes remaining as she converted a penalty.
Kristianstads are fourth after a 3-0 win at home to KIF Örebro in front of 549 fans. The hosts are finding goals easy to come by this season and in Tabby Tindell and Evelyn Viens, have two of the stars of this season’s Damallsvenskan. Michaela van den Bulk put Kristianstads ahead with 12 minutes played before Viens got in on the act on 51 minutes after being found by Mia Carlsson. Tindell maintained her position at the top of the league’s scoring charts with her ninth of the season to settle matters 12 minutes before time.
Hammarby moved up to seventh as they condemned rock bottom AIK to another defeat after seeing them off 2-0 at home in front of 2,634 fans. Australian international Courtney Nevin continued her run of scoring when she was found by Emilia Larsson with 36 minutes played. Nevin turned provider three minutes later for Emma Jansson to make it 2-0. Savage Hasund missed a penalty late on for the home side.
Round 13 Fixtures (Midweek): BK Häcken v Eskilstuna United, Djurgården v IF Brommapojkarna, IF Kalmar v Rosengård, KIF Örebro v Hammarby, Umeå IK v Linköping, Vittsjö v Kristianstads, AIK v Piteå.
ELITETTAN
Going into the weekend, Alingsås FC United were the competition’s league leaders, but that came to an end after defeat at home to newly-promoted Gamla Upsala in front of 186 fans. Initially, there was no sign of that surprising outcome as Tove Lorén gave the hosts the lead with only two minutes played. Yet, Gamla replied just three minutes later as Thea Barkfeldt levelled. The winner was struck by Sanna Öhlund after 68 minutes.
That result meant that there is a log jam once more at the top of the Elitettan. The new leaders are IK Uppsala who, as expected ran out comfortable winners over bottom side Älvsjö AIK FF. Uppsala got a boost to their goal difference, which, at present is vital at the top of the table, with a 6-0 win success in front of 168 supporters. Two first-half goals from Wilma Thörnkvist and one from Rosa Ossoria set Uppsala on their way with Hanna Persson’s brace and Ella Gunnarsson’s strike at the death completing the rout.
Växjö who ran out 3-2 winners against fellow promotion hopefuls Lidköpings FK in front of 271 fans at their Visma Arena home. Växjö’s prolific scorer Evelyn Ijeh put the hosts ahead with 17 minutes played. It remained that way until 10 minutes into the second period when there was a burst of two goals in as many minutes. First, Jenny Stadin levelled ahead of Ijeh grabbing hers and Växjö’s second. Ijeh completed her hat-trick with fifteen minutes to go. There was a tense finale as an own goal gave Lidköpings renewed hope, but Växjö got over the line and are second by just goal difference from IK Uppsala. Indeed there are just two points separating the top five.
Ifö Bromölla IF won a vital game at the bottom, 4-1 away to fellow newly-promoted side Rävåsens IK Karlskoga. There was drama in the opening period as Karlskoga’s Rebecka Mannström missed a penalty but then made amends seven minutes later by putting her team ahead. The second half was dominated by Bromölla who took the lead thanks to two strikes from Milla Larsson. Jindra van Reeden extended their lead to 3-1 before Vilma Hansson completed the scoring two minutes from time to the disappointment of the 108 fans. This result moves Bromölla out of the relegation zone
Round 10: Team TG FF 2-1 Bergdalens IK, IK Uppsala 6-0 Älvsjö AIK FF, Jitex BK 3-1 Mallbackens IF Sunne, Växjö 3-2 Lidköpings FK, Rävåsens IK Karlskoga 1-4 Ifö Bromölla IF, IFK Norrköping 3-0 Sundsvalls, Alingsås FC United 1-2 Gamla Upsala SK.
Round 11 (Fixtures): Gamla Upsala v IK Uppsala, Sundsvalls v Alingsås FC United, Bergdalens IK v Mallbackens IF Sunne, Ifö Bromölla v Växjö, Älvsjö AIK FF v Jitex BK, Lidköpings FK v Rävåsens IK Karlskoga, Team TG FF v IFK Norrköping.
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