AB Gladsaxe played a really good and well-played match on Friday night at Gladsaxe Stadium. It ended with a 3-0 victory over Nykøbing FC. Thus, AB is well placed in the fight to finish in the top 6 after the regular season, which ends next Saturday with an away game against Aarhus Fremad. The match was attended by 911 spectators.
In AB’s starting line-up, Albert Gaub-Jacobsen took over the goalkeeper position from Marcus Bobjerg. The other players from last week’s starting line-up in Elsinore had been re-elected. So in central defense were Noah Ibsen and Pachanga Kristensen. On the right side of the defense was Steven Simpson and on the left side Rasmus Brodersen. In central midfield were Ægir Jarl Jonasson and Agust Hlynsson and on the wingers O’Vonte Mullings and Casper Grening. At the top played Tobias Hageltorn and Noah Engell Christensen, who was also captain.
AB pressed high from the start of the game and set up the game in Nykøbing FC’s half of the field. In the first 20 minutes, AB’s play was too slow. Nykøbing FC also came forward on the pitch and got it too easy in certain situations, so they could play their way to chances. AB had the game through many qualified attempts. After 13 minutes, Noah Engell Kristensen dribbled across the field and was close to scoring, but the ball hit the crossbar.
One of the more spectacular attempts came when Rasmus Brodersen had to kick a free kick into the right attacking side a few meters outside the box. Instead of a cross, he shot towards the goal and the ball went close to the goal. There were several crosses and quite a few corner kicks. A shot from Ægir Jarl Jonasson was parried by Nykøbing FC’s defense. It gave them a conversion and a finish, which Albert Gaub-Jakobsen did well – the riposte shot a Nykøbing player in a strange way far over the goal.
After four corner kicks that ended up in Nykøbing’s front defence, redemption came. Rasmus Brodersen shot the corner kick close to the goal, and after several attempts to get the ball away, it ended with Ægir Jarl Jonasson scoring to make it 1-0. His first goal in the AB shirt.
After the goal, AB gained control of the game, and already four minutes later, AB captured the ball in the middle of the field. Casper Grening drove the ball towards goal and scored safely to make it 2-0.
Steven Simpson had several good shots, but none inside the frame. With seven minutes left of the 1st half, Nykøbing FC came up with a great chance, but Pachanga Kristensen threw herself and saved on the line.
After the break, there were substitutions. Both Rasmus Brodersen and Agust Hlynsson were given a warning in the 1st half, and they were replaced by Mikkel Nielsen and Søren Ilsøe. Steven Simpson was placed at left back and Mikkel Nielsen took over right back. Søren Ilsøe played in central midfield.
AB started well after the break and played their way to good opportunities. Nykøbing FC got a little more space when AB withdrew a bit. After 10 minutes, Noah Engell Kristensen went out on the edge and put a really good cross into the box, where Casper Grening came sprinting and scored to make it 3-0.
After 65 minutes, Frederik Lindgaard came on the field and replaced the two-goal scorer Casper Grening. Adrien Koudelka replaced Noah Ibsen in central defence. Tobias Hageltorn worked hard and got the chance to score when he got highest on a cross, but his header attempt ended up over the goal.
Nykøbing FC did not lose their breath despite the difficult odds, and with ten minutes left they got a conversion and a cross was parried by AB’s defense for a corner kick. There was a bit of a mess in the box, but Albert Gaub-Jakobsen guarded his goal well and threw himself down and took the ball.
With a quarter of an hour left, Onesime Tempe came on the field and replaced Tobias Hageltorn.
In the last part of the match, AB gave the initiative to Nykøbing FC. AB stood solid and well on the pitch, and even though Nykøbing FC had several opportunities, they did not score.
Captain Noah Engell Kristensen: “We focused on our own game.”
“It’s a nice feeling with 3-0 at home. Everyone is happy – it couldn’t be better. We played really well today. The first 20 minutes were a bit difficult, because they showed up in a system we hadn’t thought they would do. They played with a diamond in midfield and that gave them some chances. We didn’t change anything about it. We focused on our own game.
We score, and then we control the game and sit on it. We find out what betting patterns they play, and then we get it under control from there. They play with balls down behind us and side changes, but we had that under control, I think. We were better today in the 2nd half than last time against Elsinore.
We focused on the fact that the first fifteen minutes of the 2nd half we were going to kill the game. We score to 3-0, and from there they never really get dangerous. They get a little more play towards the end, where we stand a little lower, but we still play with high intensity. We trust our systems and are comfortable,” says Noah Engell Kristensen.
Head coach Joey Gudjonsson: It was really nice with the many spectators in the stadium today.
“It was good in many ways. We played well, we created chances, we scored goals and we defended well as well. Everyone went to the game with great energy, and it was good to see that the team handled the situations that arose in the best possible way.
I have previously said that even though Nykøbing is at the bottom of the table, they have good players. Today, they completely changed their game plan from 4-4-2 to a diamond formation in midfield. They tried to shut us down in the spaces because they were afraid of us there. They put their number ten ahead of Noah Ibsen and Pachanga Kristensen to make it difficult for us. The players handled it really well, and played around them when they closed the middle. We created chances on the edges. We could have scored more goals, but when you score three goals – then it’s a good day.
It was really nice with the many spectators in the stadium today. All in all, it’s great that people come who want to see us play football and feel entertained and happy when they leave,” Joey Gudjonsson concluded.
The next match will be played on Saturday 12 April at 14:00 at Riisvangen Stadion against Aarhus Fremad.
