N’Doye brace rounds off autumn schedule in style

by Joe Short

Head coach Ståle Solbakken made two changes from the Lions’ 3-0 victory over Randers last weekend: Dame N’Doye and Martin Vingaard coming back to replace Kenneth Zohore and Jesper Grønkjær.

Vingaard was the first to threaten the Esbjerg goal on seven minutes, but his shot was easily saved in an opening spell of little chances and long periods of FCK possession. N’Doye saw an effort blocked just six yards from goal, as Copenhagen got into their stride.

A minute later and the momentum paid off, when Oscar Wendt delivered a tantalising corner onto the head of N’Doye. The striker kept his effort low to squeeze the ball into the net. Two minutes after a Cesar Santin penalty appeal was turned down, but the Lions didn’t have to wait long before their second goal.

Pospech determination makes it two
In the 23rd minute N’Doye dropped deep and spread the ball out wide to Zdenek Pospech. The right-back fought for possession, bounded into the Esbjerg penalty area and – rather than cut a pass back across goal – shot himself from the tight angle. Lukas Hradecky couldn’t handle the power, and only helped the ball into his own net.

At 2-0 FCK settled down to their regular style of ball retention, but that did not prevent Mikkel Vendelbo from volleying at Johan Wiland. Two injury concerns forced Solbakken to make a double substitution just five minutes before half time. Vingaard, who had been signalling to the bench a concern about his foot, came off for Thomas Kristensen; meanwhile Mikael Antonsson withdrew in place of Sölvi Ottesen.

Ottesen was immediately called in action as he blocked a shot from Søren Rieks, but a minute later almost gifted Esbjerg a goal. Wiland had to be quick to mop up a weak back pass from the defender.

Long ball confusion gifts Esbjerg goal
The start of the second half almost saw Pospech double his goal tally, but his header at the far post was blocked. At the other end, Wendt did well to close down Peter Nymann and deflect his drive away from goal. In the 51st minute however, Wendt was helpless in watching Esbjerg claim a goal back.

With Wendt up the field pressuring the Esbjerg backline, the FCK defence was slightly stretched. Esbjerg capitalised, as Rieks latched on to a long ball over the top between Ottesen and Zanka and nodded into the path of Jesper Lange who – with Wiland out of his box having attempted to close down the attack – slotted easily into an empty net to give the away side a lifeline at 2-1.

Seconds after the goal and Esbjerg thought they had equalised, when Kevin Conboy’s misguided cross caught Wiland off guard: forcing the keeper to claw the ball out of the net. The linesman deemed correctly that the ball hadn’t crossed the line however, and the PARKEN faithful breathed a sigh of relief.

Esbjerg denied a penalty?
The game began to open up as the second half progressed: mainly due to Esbjerg’s sensing of an equaliser. Santin had an effort knocked clear from goal, before N’Doye hit side netting on 56 minutes. Pospech also forced an effort at goal – somewhat in the same position as his strike in the first half – but it was saved comfortably this time by Hradecky.

A moment of controversy possibly on 65 minutes, when Jeppe Mehl missed a golden opportunity in front of an open goal to equalise for Esbjerg. The away side were up in arms with referee Jakob Kehlet’s decision to award a goal kick, but on further evidence Pospech did not appear to make contact with the player, who sliced his effort harmlessly wide of goal.

The game became tenser as the full time whistle approached, with niggling tackles common all over the pitch. Both sides were doing well to close each other out of any attacking opportunities, but this did not stop Pospech becoming free on the right wing to cut back – under substitute Zohore – to Christian Bolaños on the edge of the area. The Costa Rican’s strike sailed high over the crossbar however.

Late N’Doye head wraps up match
With the clock running down FCK needed a goal to seal the game off, and it came in the simplest of fashion. Kristensen spread wide right to Pospech with two minutes remaining, and the Czech floated a perfect ball into the box to N’Doye, who rose before Zohore to guide the ball gently past Hradecky and ensure all three points would be Copenhagen’s.

The 3-1 result rounds off an almost perfect autumn schedule to FCK’s Superiga season. Solbakken’s squad sit 19 points clear at the top of the table, having won sixteen of their 19 league games to date, drawing their other three. Unbeaten in the league, the winter break will come as just rewards for a tough yet consistent start to the 2010/11 campaign, the best in the club’s history.




F.C. COPENHAGEN: 3 ESBJERG fB: 1

FC Copenhagen: Wiland, Pospech, Zanka, Antonsson, Wendt, Bolaños, Claudemir, Kvist (C), Vingaard, Santin, N'Doye.

Esbjerg fB: Hradecky (GK), Risp, Jørgensen (C), Janssen, Nymann, Conboy, Mehl, Høgh, Vendelbo, Rieks, Braithwaite.

Referee: Jakob Kehlet

Goals: N’Doye (18’, 88’), Pospech (23’), Lange, Esbjerg fB (51’).

Bookings: Vendelbo, Esbjerg fB (27’).