retired_samiam

2nd June 2002
After the convincing cup victory, we welcomed high flying Ham Kam to our stadium, and I could feel the confidence in the side was high.

As is normal with cup games, we had made several changes, so for this important league game, several big names came back. Arason was in goal, and the back four consisted of Grotta Grav, Mabizela, Aliga and Johnsen. The midfield was Hovi, Persson and Gashi, with Berre and Fredheim Holm in the attacking midfield positions and Iversen up front.


Valerenga 5-2 Ham Kam Att. 11,146.
The game started off badly. Geir Frigard hammered in a shot from 20 yards after beating Hovi, Arason blocked it, but Dag Holvorsen followed up the rebound to put Ham Kam 1-0 up after just 8 minutes.

The reply was instant. We won 3 corners in a row, started mounting the pressure, and finally, a Berre cross was powerfully met by our captain Johnsen and the scores were level again.

We started playing better and controlled the midfield. Fredheim Holm went close several times, and in the 27th minute, a Persson cross found Mabizela's head, and we took a deserved 2-1 lead.

Ham Kam came back into the game, and the rest of the first half was even, both sides creating and missing a few chances.

The second half started off tight as well, before, in the 58th minute, a piece of brilliant trickery from Gashi found him one on one with the Ham Kam goalkeeper, and he slipped it past him to give us a 2-goal cushion. The 3-1 scoreline quickly became 4-1, just 3 minutes later, after Hovi picked up on a loose ball several yards outside the penalty area, and his weak shot slipped under the goalkeeper's body and the victory was assured.

Just 2 minutes after Hovi's goal, we capped off a tremendous "3 goals in 5 minutes" period, after another Hovi shot was blocked, but Berre volleyed in the rebound. The 5-1 scoreline flattered us a little, but we were playing great football.

Ham Kam notched a consolation in the last minute, courtesy of Felix Ademola, but the game was well and truly won.

Man of the Match - Morten Berre - 1 goal, 1 assist


In other games today, Rosenborg slipped further off the pace with a 2-0 defeat to Odd Grenland. League leaders Tromso kept up their 4-point lead with a 2-0 win over Molde, and high flying Start continued their good run with a 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt.


<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * Norwegian Premier Division - Sunday 2nd June 2002********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2002 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Tromsø 12 5 0 1 18 8 4 0 2 14 9 27 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Vålerenga 12 4 1 2 19 9 3 1 1 14 9 23 3rd Start 12 3 2 1 15 10 3 1 2 9 11 21 4th Ham Kam 12 3 1 2 12 10 3 1 2 12 12 20 5th Brann 12 4 0 1 11 8 2 2 3 9 13 20 6th Odd Grenland 12 2 1 3 8 9 4 0 2 11 8 19 7th Rosenborg 12 5 0 0 14 4 0 3 4 7 14 18 8th Lyn 12 3 0 2 9 8 1 3 3 11 14 15 9th Viking 12 3 2 1 12 8 1 1 4 5 12 15 10th Molde 12 3 1 2 12 11 1 1 4 10 17 14 11th Fredrikstad 12 4 1 2 14 10 0 0 5 6 16 13 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12th Lillestrøm 12 2 1 3 9 10 2 0 4 9 14 13 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13th Aalesund 12 2 2 2 10 10 1 1 4 5 10 12 14th Bodø/Glimt 12 1 3 3 10 13 0 1 4 6 14 7 </pre>


5th June 2002
After their poor 2-0 defeat a few days ago, Rosenborg today decided to sack their manager Ola By Rise. It was pleasing to see a big league rival struggling, but I was sure Rosenborg were capable of putting together a useful run of form soon.


We travelled to Brann today for a tricky 3rd Round Norwegian Cup game. Again, as was becoming standard practice, I changed the side around. Stensrud came in for Arason in goal. The entire back four was rested, and in came Brathen at left back, Dos Santos at right back, and Skrbic and Kindervag at centre half. Gabrielsen replaced Hovi and Gianni Guigou came in for Persson. We had decided to deploy Guigou in a defensive midfield role due to his terrific tackling ability - it would be an interesting experiment. In central midfield, Gashi kept his place after showing some signs of brilliance against Ham Kam. Jonas Johansen and Ishizaki were given chances in attacking midfield and Magallanes started upfront.

It was a risk playing a relatively poor side against quality opposition such as Brann, but I had already decided to put priority into our league games, and we had a potentially tricky tie against Viking in a week's time.


Brann 2-1 Valerenga - Norwegian Cup 3rd Round
A disappointing performance from the players, and Brann took full advantage of my experimentations and the inexperience of players in key positions. Within 6 minutes, the Brann central defender Knut Walde rose above Kindervag, who failed to track his run, and a powerful downward header later, we were 1-0 down. In the 23rd minute, Kindervag again failed to clear with a header, and a Walde shot was blocked by Stensrud, but followed up by Bengt Saeternes and we were 2-0 down.

We were being outplayed all over the pitch, and were lucky to go into half time 2-1 down. A Johansen cross found the head of Ishizaki, and his flick on found Magallanes, who scored from close range - that goal gave us hope of a great comeback.

I made two half time substitutions, bringing on Forsell to replace Skrbic in central defence, and Grotta Grav came on to replace Gabrielsen, who was having another poor game. Grotta Grav would be given his chance in midfield.

Those changes seemed to give us slightly more strength in midfield, and we were able to start the second half slightly stronger, although we couldn't create many chances. Berre came on for Johansen just after the hour mark, but Brann kept us at bay, and held on to knock us out of the cup.

Man of the Match - (Brann player) Raymond Kvisvik (AM LC), 1 assist


7th June 2002
Today I decided to promote our reserve team left sided defensive midfielder Jan Eirik Heggem to the first team, and demote Gabrielsen to the reserves. Hopefully some reserve game time will improve Gabrielsen's consistency. At the same time, I demoted Ishizaki in the hope he could recapture the form he showed before my appointment as manager.


12th June 2002
I was disappointed with the cup exit, but determined to not let it affect our excellent league form. A potentially tricky tie with Viking saw me bring back key players.

Arason was back in goal, while three of my favoured back four was available. Grotta Grav, Johnsen and Aliga all came back in, and while Mabizela had a slight knock, Forsell was able to come in at right back. Hovi and Persson came back in at defensive midfield, and Johansen was given a chance in central midfield. Berre and Fredheim Holm partnered each other in attacking midfield again, while Iversen started up front.


Viking 0-5 Valerenga
A fantastic game, with players playing at the top of their game. It also marked the first hat trick under my management, and it was achieved by our striker Iversen. He notched his first with some intricate passing between Berre and Persson, a wonderful incisive through ball by Berre, and a great side foot finish by Iversen himself.

Our second was granted in strange circumstances. A cross by Berre was met by Hovi, whose header was going well wide, before hitting the Viking defender Bjorn Dahl, and being deflected in. 2-0 up within 24 minutes was a great start, and just 6 minutes later, it got even better. Persson and Berre combined well again to set up Iversen, who shot hard and low past the goalkeeper for 3-0 within an half hour.

5 minutes before half time, it was 4 - a Persson long ball found Hovi, whose chest down found Fredheim Holm, who volleyed it past the goalkeeper, and ensured the game was out of Viking's reach with a half still to play.

Heggem replaced Hovi at half time to give the youngster a run out, and some of our players started to relax. It was an easy second half, and Iversen notched his hat-trick on 65 minutes, a wonderfully controlled volley from a Fredheim Holm knock down header.

After the fifth, we just played out the rest of the game, and my attention had already turned to other games being played that day, and also our upcoming match with Molde, who had been playing well recently.

Man of the Match - Steffan Iversen - 3 goals


In the other league games today, Rosenborg fell even further behind after losing to Tromso 2-1, a result which kept Tromso 4 points clear at the top. Molde continued their good run by beating Ham Kam 2-1. Start and Brann, who both had title aspirations, cancelled each other out with a 0-0, while Odd Grenland got back to winning ways by beating bottom placed Bodo/Glimt 4-3.


The league would take a near 2 month break now while the World Cup was on, and it was a good time for my players to reassess the situation and try and find their best form for when the league started up again.


13th June 2002
After a week of interviews, Rosenborg finally announced Trond Johansen as their new manager. I'm sure that even after a poor two weeks for the defending champions, they are more than capable of getting back into the title hunt over the next month or so.


16th June 2002
With the title race hotting up, I decided to add a fresh face to our side today. The period between now and July 28th would be when most of the big sides added to their squads, and we were no exception. Adding new faces would hopefully give the side a boost and enable us to keep some good form going into the most difficult stage of any season - the ending part. We had 13 league games left, and the title was definitely there as our goal.


Today, I signed a 27 year old striker called Nils Ottar Sando from First Division Il Hodd. The Norwegian striker had scored 8 in 11 games for the First Division side, and would provide Iversen and Magallanes with some competition.

retired_blondie_524

Very good story, nice and detailed but easy to read.

KUTGW :thup:

retired_samiam

17th June 2002
Our right sided midfielder Dos Santos agreed terms today with Rosenborg. His contract had just 6 months left, so he was able to secure a free transfer deal which would be concluded on the 4th November. Following our signing of Persson at the end of last month, we had no need for Dos Santos and it was a good deal all round, as it would free up a place in our squad for youngsters in come in.


21st June 2002
Our right back Forsell sustained fractured ribs in a training ground accident today and will miss the next month. It is fortunate for us that he should be fit for the resumption of league games at the end of July.


The European qualifiers were announced today - Rosenborg and Lillestrom enter the Champions League, Viking and Stabaek will enter the UEFA Cup, and Molde and Odd Grenland will enter the Inter-Toto Cup. Hopefully we can continue our good form and be a part of Europe next season.


24th June 2002
Following on from our capture of Sando, we signed another forward today - the 26 year old Dane Iddi Alkhag on a free transfer from Danish Premier Division side Silkeborg IF. I was having my doubts about Magallanes future at the club after this season, and wanted strength in depth in case he left the club.

We also agreed a deal for the Swedish midfielder Torbjorn Nilsson from Swedish First Division Mjallby. The 30 year old player was capable of playing in left, right or centre midfield, and would be a useful utility player. He would join us on a free transfer on the 2nd of December.


1st July 2002
We concluded another piece of terrific business today. I was on the look-out for another coach to add to our team, and in the back of my mind was the thought of getting in another quality central midfielder to challenge Bertheussen and Gashi. The answer to both problems came in the shape of Tromso's captain Bjorn Johansen. The 35 year old Norwegian had played magnificently all season, and especially against us when Tromso beat us 4-2. It took almost a whole day of negotiations, but finally, we secured our man for £130,000, and he signed a Player-Coach contract, meaning he could give his experience to our youngsters. An excellent deal for the club, and it weakened one of our league rivals.


13th July 2002
Most of our players had spent the 2 month league break watching friends play in the World Cup, and although Norway had not made it, we all enjoyed a terrific 3rd/4th Place Playoff match today between Brazil and Argentina, which Argentina finally won 2-1.

14th July 2002
My players were given the day off from training to watch a slightly disappointing World Cup Final, which saw Portugal surprisingly beat England 1-0 to win the tournament.


17th July 2002
We completed our summer transfer dealings by signing a terrific left back, Stig Krohn Haaland from Sandefjord for £140,000. He would challenge Grotta Grav in the left back position, since after just a few months, I was suspicious about Brathen's ability to play first team football.


Our reserve midfielder Hansen Krogstad signed a new 3-year deal today, boosting his wage from £350 a week to £850 a week. I had big plans for Hansen Krogstad next season - I saw him as a natural replacement or backup to Fredheim Holm on the right hand side of attacking midfield.


26th July 2002
After two months of training and reorganisation, our reserves seemed to have come back refreshed and ready to go, and they proved it by beating Molde Reserves 2-0 today.


27th July 2002
In the only Premier Division game today, Tromso slipped up by losing 4-1 to Viking. That loss gave us the chance to close the gap to 1 point with a victory over Molde tomorrow.

retired_samiam

28th July 2002
After the 5-0 win over Viking last time out, I saw no real reason to change the side too much. Forsell was still feeling the after-effects of his fractured ribs so Mabizela came in at right back, while in central midfield, Jonas Johansen came out and Bertheussen came back in. Bjorn Johansen, Krohn Haaland and Sando were all on the bench, along with Hansen Krogstad.


Molde 0-0 Valerenga
A very frustrating game, since we knew we were capable of winning it before it started. We had so many chances in the first half, with Fredheim Holm and Berre both hitting a post, and Bertheussen having two shots whistle narrowly wide.

The second half started off in equally frustrating terms, with us dominating the match but just unable to find that killer final ball, or finish. I brought on Sando and Bjorn Johansen for Iversen and Bertheussen in the hope the new faces would give us the breakthrough, but the Molde defence stood tall, and luck stayed on their side. I introduced Hansen Krogstad for Fredheim Holm in the 85th minute, but the change was too late and we had lost our chance to close the gap to Tromso.

Man of the Match - Christer Persson


On the same day, Start beat Aaleslund 2-1, and Brann climbed two places by beating Ham Kam 2-0.


31st July 2002
With the gap at the top down to 3, and with Tromso having a relatively easy game today at Aaleslund, we knew we had to beat Bodo/Glimt today, although the task didn't get off to the easiest of starts. We had to make 9 changes after the majority of our lineup against Molde were feeling the strains of playing twice in 3 days.

Arason remained in goal, but the entire back four had to be changed. In their place, in came Forsell, Krohn Haaland, Haugland and Skrbic. In midfield, we gave a start to the youngster Heggem in place of Hovi, and Kjaer came in for Persson. In central midfield, Bjorn Johansen made his home debut, while both Berre and Fredheim Holm were replaced by Jonas Johansen and Gashi. Iversen retained his place up front.


Valerenga 2-0 Bodo/Glimt Att. 12,182
We got off to an excellent, if a little surprising start. I had thought before the game that Heggem would be the weak link, but within 4 minutes, a Jonas Johansen corner found Heggem's head and the youngster had his first goal for us. An amazing start.

The game settled down after that, and Bodo/Glimt created a few problems, and Heggem started struggling a little. I could feel the game start to slip away from us as we approached half time, and prepared to make a half time change. However, before the whistle could go, a long ball by Kjaer was picked up by Iversen, and his chest control and volleyed pass into the path of Gashi, enabled the midfielder to run past the last defender and slip the ball past the goalkeeper for 2-0 - a great end to the half.

That goal took the fight out of Bodo/Glimt and the second half was much more comfortable. We were able to make a 80th minute triple substitution, bringing on Sando, Hansen Krogstad and Kindervag for Iversen, Jonas Johansen and Forsell, and we saw the game out to keep on track with Tromso at the top.

Man of the Match - Trond Inge Haugland - 5 key tackles


On the same day, Tromso did indeed beat Aaleslund 2-0, while Brann continued their great run with a hard fought victory over Lyn, by 3 goals to 2. Rosenborg got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Viking.


<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * Norwegian Premier Division - Wednesday 31st July 2002********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2002 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Tromsø 15 6 0 1 20 8 5 0 3 17 14 33 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Vålerenga 15 5 1 2 21 9 4 2 1 19 9 30 3rd Brann 15 6 1 1 16 10 2 2 3 9 13 27 4th Start 14 3 2 1 15 10 4 2 2 11 12 25 5th Odd Grenland 13 3 1 3 12 12 4 0 2 11 8 22 6th Rosenborg 15 6 0 1 17 6 0 3 5 8 16 21 7th Ham Kam 15 3 2 2 14 12 3 1 4 13 16 21 8th Lyn 15 4 0 3 12 11 1 3 4 13 17 18 9th Molde 14 4 2 2 14 12 1 1 4 10 17 18 10th Viking 15 4 2 2 16 14 1 1 5 5 14 18 11th Lillestrøm 13 2 1 3 9 10 3 0 4 11 15 16 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12th Fredrikstad 15 4 1 2 14 10 0 2 6 9 20 15 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13th Aalesund 15 2 3 3 12 13 1 1 5 5 12 13 14th Bodø/Glimt 15 2 3 3 11 13 0 1 6 9 20 10 </pre>


We were satisfied with our last two games, and although we felt we should have won both, we had marginally closed the gap to Tromso, and we had a relatively easy game at Fredrikstad next up, while Tromso faced a very tricky trip to Odd Grenland.


3rd August 2002
We travelled to the Fredrikstad Stadion full of optimism, and we were further boosted after all our first team players announced themselves fit.

Arason kept his place, but in defence, Forsell, Skrbic and Krohn Haaland came out and were replaced by Grotta Grav, Mabizela and Johnsen. After Haugland's terrific display, he kept his place, with Aliga having to be content with a place on the bench.

In midfield, Heggem was out, replaced by the more experienced Hovi. Kjaer dropped to the bench, with Persson coming in. Both Johansen's were out, Bjorn being replaced by Bertheussen in central midfield, while Berre came in at left attacking midfield. Fredheim Holm was fit and available, but he had to be content with a place on the bench, while Gashi started alongside Berre. Magallanes started up front in place of the tired Iversen, while Alkhag had a first place on the bench. Guigou was also on the bench, his first involvement for quite a few games.


Fredrikstad 2-1 Valerenga
A horrible game in every sense of the word. It got off to the worst possible start in the 6th minute when Mabizela went in hard at the back of the Fredrikstad midfielder Hakan Soderstierna, and the referee issued a straight red card. Down to 10 men with 84 minutes left was not ideal, and to cope with the loss at right back, I moved Persson into a more defensive role, and dropped Gashi back from an attacking midfield role into a more centralised area.

The change caused disruption in our defence, and our problems got even bigger just a minute later, when Dag Frode Hornseth skipped past Gashi, and played the ball to Tomas Nygard, who was in acres of space and his first time shot beat Arason and we were 1-0 down.

We struggled for the rest of the half, and were able to make it in at half time just 1-0 down. I brought on Fredheim Holm for the poor Berre, and we looked brighter. Fredheim Holm himself went close, and in the 64th minute, his passing set up Hovi, who nutmegged Tor Trondsen in the Fredrikstad defence, and placed the ball into the right hand corner of the goal. It was an equalizer we barely deserved.

Just when it seemed we might be getting back into the game, and capable of getting all three points, our hopes were dashed again. Just two minutes after Hovi's goal, our captain Johsen was shown a red card, who made a dangerous two-footed challenge on their midfielder Brian West. It was a huge loss and another red card for a defender, which left us very short at the back. I replaced Bertheussen for Bjorn Johansen who could play in central defence better than Bertheussen, and we looked like holding out for a draw.

However, just 8 minutes from time, Nygard forced a mistake from Haugland, and Humberto latched onto the ball and hammered home from close range. It was a cruel goal, and we had been beaten 2-1.

Man of the Match - (Fredrikstad player) Tomas Nygard (SC)- 1 goal, 1 assist


Our bad mood was lifted slightly by news from Tromso, where we learned they had been beaten 3-0 by Odd Grenland. Elsewhere in the League, Start lost 4-2 at home to Molde, while Brann and Viking drew 2-2.

The defeat for Tromso was pleasing but even more frustrating as we knew a victory over Fredrikstad would have put even more pressure on the league leaders.


7th August 2002
We didn't have a league game today - we would have to wait until the 10th, when we were involved in a Oslo derby against Lyn - a very tricky tie that I was not looking forward to.

We watched with interest today as Tromso got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Lyn, and Start climbed up the table with a comfortable 3-0 win over Viking.

retired_samiam

10th August 2002
On the back of the poor 2-1 defeat to Fredrikstad, we had to try and bounce back against our Oslo neighbours Lyn. We kept Arason in goal, who seemed to be in decent form over the last few games. In place of the suspended Mabizela, Haugland moved across to right back, while Skrbic replaced the suspended Johnsen. Aliga made his return to central defence, while Krohn Haaland came in for Grotta Grav. Hovi and Kjaer made up the defensive midfield positions, while Bertheussen retained his central midfield role. Berre, Fredheim Holm and Iversen all came back into the side.


Lyn 2-0 Valerenga
As soon as the game began, I knew the side would be in trouble. We never really got out of the starting blocks, and Lyn played some lovely football. They took the lead in the 21st minute, after Kjaer had cleared a corner, Ole Kristian Lindseth powered home a 25-yard shot, past a helpless Arason. For the remainder of the first half, we could only manage a weak long distance shot by Berre, and Lyn could have scored one or two more.

I made no changes at half time, hoping we could find some life in the second half, but it soon became clear Lyn had the upper hand. In the 71st minute, Magallanes and Persson came on for Fredheim Holm and Kjaer, but still we couldn't create many chances, and Lyn sealed the win with a second goal 3 minutes from time - a long distance effort from Kolo Halit deceived Arason and found the top corner.

Man of the Match - (Lyn player) Stian Straume (GK)


It was another frustrating defeat, and Tromso took full advantage of our slip-up by beating Ham Kam 4-1. Rosenborg got back into the title race with a 3-2 victory over Start.


14th August 2002
Rosenborg continued to make progress today by beating Brann 3-1 in the only League game of the day. We would now have a 2 week period until our next game, which would be a must-win against struggling Viking, while on that same day, Tromso met Rosenborg, in a game where hopefully one team would drop some points and let us back into the race.


20th August 2002
I had an interview today with a national newspaper, who asked me some tricky questions about my thoughts about the season:

You have made a decent start to your managerial career in Norway - how far do you think the club can go this season?
Well, yeah, the club has had some good results this year. The 5-1 victory over Brann and the tremendous 4-1 win over Rosenborg come to mind instantly. It has definitely been an improvement over last season, when I wasn't here, when the club finished outside the top 6. I definitely think we can finish in the top 6 this year, and despite the poor recent defeats, we are still in a position to make a realistic challenge for the title.


What do you attribute the recent poor showings to - can your players see the title and are they getting nervous?
I don't think so. I think the 2 month break for the World Cup came at a bad time for us, and a good time for clubs like Rosenborg. They were struggling, and the break gave them the chance to change managers and sort themselves out, whereas we were playing well, and just before the break, we had two league games in which we scored 5 goals, and beat two decent sides in Ham Kam and Viking. Then the break came, and since the league has started up again, we've lost at Fredrikstad and Lyn, and struggled against Bodo/Glimt. Our players just need to find a bit of form again, and we've got some big games coming up before the end of the season. We have to play Tromso and Rosenborg again, we have to play Odd Grenland and we've got Ham Kam on the last day of the season, so it's going to be tough.


You've brought in a lot of players since the season began - has your transfer dealings for this season ended now, and do you think the squad will be settled for next year?
When I first joined, the playing staff wasn't good enough. I've brought in quality and the results show that. There are still a few players to come in, we've got the midfielders Audun Holt and Torbjorn Nilsson to join at the end of the year, in November/December time, and I still think the squad needs a major overhaul when the seasons finished. I'll be using the months November to March to bring in players in positions where I feel depth is needed, to bring in more quality youth, and perhaps to lower the wage bill. I think there are some first team players who aren't good enough, and some players on huge wages. I won't be afraid to make changes and some big name players may be moving on. I have a definite plan in mind for next season and I think the squad we start the season with next season will be a settled one and one that can win the title.


How do you see the title race going this year?
[I]I think we have a chance of winning it if we can pick up some form, and beat some of the big sides. I believe that both Tromso and Rosenborg will drop points before the end of the season. Tromso have been struggling the last couple of weeks. They've lost to Odd Grenland and Viking recently and they have a huge game with Rosenborg next week. I think out of the top 4 sides, Rosenborg are looking the strongest. They've had victories over Viking and Start and look in great form, and I expect them to beat Tromso. The managerial change definitely seems to have worked for them. The last 9-10 games are so key - we all have big games, and we just need to pick up as many points as possible to be in with a shout. Our games with Tromso and Rosenborg are so critical.



24th August 2002
The big game of the day ended with Rosenborg beating Tromso 2-1. In the other day of the day, Odd Grenland drew 3-3 with bottom club Bodo/Glimt.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * Norwegian Premier Division - Saturday 24th August 2002********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2002 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Tromsø 19 8 0 2 26 11 5 0 4 17 17 39 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Rosenborg 19 8 0 1 23 9 2 3 5 11 17 33 3rd Vålerenga 17 5 1 2 21 9 4 2 3 20 13 30 4th Odd Grenland 16 5 1 3 19 13 4 1 2 14 11 29 5th Start 17 4 2 1 18 10 4 2 4 15 19 28 6th Brann 18 6 1 2 18 14 2 3 4 12 18 28 7th Lyn 18 6 0 3 16 11 1 3 5 13 18 24 8th Ham Kam 18 4 2 2 17 12 3 1 6 14 22 24 9th Lillestrøm 16 3 1 3 14 10 4 1 4 16 18 23 10th Viking 18 5 3 2 22 17 1 1 6 5 17 22 11th Molde 17 5 2 2 18 14 1 1 6 11 22 21 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12th Fredrikstad 18 6 1 2 17 11 0 2 7 10 24 21 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13th Aalesund 18 2 4 4 14 16 1 1 6 5 17 14 14th Bodø/Glimt 19 2 5 3 15 17 0 2 7 11 25 13 </pre>


The league showed how easy Rosenborg have found it to get back into the title race. Picking up 12 out of 12 points in a month has boosted them from 6th to 2nd. On the other hand, the two defeats at Fredrikstad and Lyn for us had kept us on 30 points, a massive 9 points off the pace.


25th August 2002
The defeat for Tromso meant we could catch them up with a victory today over Viking. We had played them away from home just before the World Cup break and beat them 5-0 so we should be able to pick up some points at home today.

Our favoured back four of Mabizela, Grotta Grav, Aliga and Johnsen were all fit and available today and ahead of them, Hovi and Kjaer both started. Persson had to make do with a position on the bench. Bertheussen started in central midfield, despite losing a little bit of his early season form. Ahead of him, Fredheim Holm was deployed on the left hand side of midfield in Berre's absence, and Guigou made a return at right midfield. Magallanes started up front in place of the tired Iversen.


Valerenga 1-1 Viking Att. 12,417
The game started off slowly, and it seemed to be another frustrating match. We had a few chances which Magallanes missed, and Viking packed their defence with 5 or 6 players at all times. The first half raced by, and we went in at half 0-0. The second half started slowly as well, and neither side had any chances. In the 62nd minute, I made a double substitution, bringing off Magallanes and Kjaer for Iversen and Persson. We started to look a little better and Iversen went close twice. Two minutes after our substitution, Fredheim Holm was injured in a 50/50 challenge and had to be replaced with Berre.

It seemed a game where one goal would win, and unfortunately for us, the first goal came from Viking. The former Southampton striker Egil Ostenstad struck a hard shot from 20 yards, Arason blocked it, but Ostenstad followed it up and put Viking 1-0 up.

It was beginning to seem like another frustrating day until our substitute Berre dribbled the ball past two players and chipped the goalkeeper with a terrific finish with just 3 minutes left. The match ended 1-1, which was another disappointing result for us.

Man of the Match - (Viking player) Ronny Deila (DC)


We found out after the match that Fredheim Holm would miss a week of action with a dead leg. We were fortunate that we now had 2 weeks off until our next match against Aaleslund, which was definitely a must win. We would have to start picking up maximum points against the bottom sides if we were to have any chance at all of staying in touch at the top.

retired_samiam

28th August 2002
The record for the highest scoring game this season was broken today as Lillestrom beat Molde 6-1. A tremendous result for Lillestrom, and it continued Molde's slide toward the bottom places of the table.


31st August 2002
A huge boost today for both ourselves and the defending champions Rosenborg as Tromso lost 1-0 to Brann.


7th September 2002
Start added themselves to the title mix today with a 3-0 victory over Odd Grenland. That result put 5 sides within 4 points of each other at the top of the table.


11th September 2002
We travelled to struggling Aaleslund today, knowing that we had to pick up all three points. It was so tight at the top that any points dropped could move us down several places.

We were forced to make several changes from the 1-1 draw with Viking. Our captain and central defender Johnsen had a slight ankle problem, so Skrbic replaced him. Bertheussen was less than 100% so Bjorn Johansen came in. Kjaer was available but I chose to rest him in place of Persson. My favoured threesome upfront of Berre, Fredheim Holm and Iversen were all available and fit.


Aaleslund 1-2 Valerenga
It had been a hugely frustrating last couple of games, with defeats at Fredrikstad and Lyn, and only a draw at Viking, and this game started off in bad shape as well. Within 11 minutes, Lasse Olsen curled the ball into the box, and Rune Johansen climbed above Mabizela and headed home to give Aaleslund a 1-0 lead.

We recovered well after the goal, and starting creating chances ourselves, with Berre heading close on two occasions. We got our reward for the pressure in the 25th minute, when the Aaleslund goalkeeper Lindaas miscontrolled a Fredheim Holm cross, and Iversen hammered home the loose ball.

That goal gave us a boost, and just 5 minutes later, a Persson cross found Bjorn Johansen and his powerful downward header gave us a deserved lead.

We went in 2-1 up at half time, and I was pleased with the way the side that reacted to losing an early goal. The second half was tighter, with both sides having several good chances, but we were able to hold on. The players looked like they were getting tired towards the end of the match, and I didn't want to risk conceding an equalizer, so with 4 minutes left, I replaced Grotta Grav, Bjorn Johansen and Berre for Krohn Haaland, Jonas Johansen and Alkhag, and the substitutes were able to keep possession and see out the clock.

Man of the Match - Daniel Fredheim Holm - 1 assist


12th September 2002
Our Oslo rivals Lyn joined the title race today with a good 2-1 victory over Start, and that result made the top half of the Premier Division table even tighter.


14th September 2002
Another great result for us today, as Tromso lost again, this time 2-1 at Start. Rosenborg went to the top of the table with a 3-1 win at Lillestrom. We would have the chance to overtake Tromso if we could beat Brann tomorrow.

retired_samiam

15th September 2002
We welcomed Brann to the Ulleval Stadion today, anticipating a tough game. I was unhappy with the level of performance from my side recently, and a game against a side who had eliminated us from the Norwegian Cup wasn't great timing. Tromso had slipped up yesterday, but Rosenborg had continued their good run, so it was important that we got a result today. We kept the same side that had beaten Aaleslund 2-1, although we were forced into making one change. Bjorn Johansen was less than 100%, and with Bertheussen still recovering from a knock suffered in training, Kjaer filled a central role for the first time.

Brann gave a first start of the season to our former goalkeeper Oyvind Andre Bolthof.


Valerenga 2-2 Brann Att. 12,990.
As was becoming far too familiar, we started slowly, and Brann dominated the early stages of the game. They had countless chances, before the former Aberdeen player Robbie Winters controlled a Kristian Ystaas cross, and although his shot hit the right hand post, the follow up was scored by the former Dundee United and Rangers midfielder Charlie Miller. Brann were 1-0 up within 12 minutes, but just 2 minutes later, we were level. A Hovi long ball found Berre, and his skill beat the last defender, and a low shot into the right hand corner gave us the equalizer.

We held on to the 1-1 score until just after the half hour, when Miller's long ball found the Brann striker Raymond Kvisvik, and he dribbled past Aliga and Skrbic before beating Arason in goal.

We went in at half time 2-1 down, and I decided to make 2 defensive substitutions. The left back Grotta Grav was replaced by Krohn Haaland and the disappointing right back Mabizela was replaced by Kindervag.

The second half started well, with the defensive changes containing Ystaas and Winters well enough. We restricted Brann to just one shot on target in the whole second half, but we couldn't get the equalizer. I replaced Iversen for Magallanes with 20 minutes remaining in the hope of snatching one point. We suffered a huge piece of misfortunate just three minutes after the change, when Aliga sprained his ankle and was forced off, and having used all three substitutes, we were down to 10 men. The hope of getting the equalizer looked to be fading away until the 82nd minute, when a terrific 30 yard dribble by Magallanes was finished in style, as his shot clipped the underside of the bar and beat Bolthof.

Man of the Match - (Brann player) Charlie Miller (AM C) - 1 assist, 1 goal


It was another disappointing result, and I was again shocked at the poor form shown by Mabizela. I would need to have a word with him as soon as possible to find out what was happening.


18th September 2002
We had several games in hand over Tromso and Rosenborg and that meant we would have to play a lot of games in a short space of time. I was beginning to lose hope of winning the title, especially as my side had lost form at a key moment and had several tough games to come, including Odd Grenland today, Tromso on the 29th and Rosenborg on the 2nd of October. It was a lot to ask of my players, especially considering their inevitable fatigue at playing so many games. We also had to play Start, Ham Kam and Lillestrom before the end of October - a 6-game month after playing 3 games in the last week.

I could take some small consolation in the fact that today's game was at home, although our last two home games had seen two disappointing draws against Viking and Brann. Hopefully today would see us change that run of form and pick up maximum points.


The pre-match preparations didn't help my optimism. After the gruelling game against Brann just 3 days ago, most of the 11 that started were feeling jaded. Arason was able to keep his place in goal, but in defence, only Skrbic was fit enough to play. Grotta Grav, Aliga and Mabizela all came out, and in their place came in Krohn Haaland, Forsell and our captain Johnsen.

Midfield was equally badly hit. Out went Hovi and Persson, and in came our reserve team midfielder Heggem and Kjaer dropped down from central midfield to his normal right midfield. In central midfield, both Bertheussen and Bjorn Johansen were still unfit, so Gashi had to play. Up front, Berre, Fredheim Holm and Iversen were all too unfit for a starting place, so the threesome of Jonas Johansen, Gianni Guigou and Magallanes started. There was a first substitutes appearance for our newly acquired striker Sando and for the reserve team midfielder Hansen Krogstad.


Valerenga 1-2 Odd Grenland Att. 14,430.
Unlike the last 4 or 5 games, we started this one brightly and looked to be in terrific form. I had pre-match doubts about Heggem, although he had performed magnificently in his first appearance for the club against Bodo/Glimt at the end of July, scoring within 4 minutes, and he got off to an equally dramatic start in this match. In the 8th minute, his trickery and long ball found Kjaer, who finished coolly to put us 1-0 up.

After the goal, we seemed to relax and allow Odd Grenland back into the game. They created several good chances, and we relied on excellent Arason saves to bring us in at half time still 1-0 up.

The second half started in a similiar way to how the first one ended, with Odd Grenland attacking and us holding on. I knew we couldn't do that for the whole 45 minutes, and so it proved. Within 10 minutes of the restart, the Odd Grenland defender Christian Flindt Bjerg smashed in a shot from 25 yards, which Arason saved brilliantly, but the rebound fell to Morten Knudsen, and he had a simple finish.

Just 8 minutes after that goal, Odd Grenland were 2-1 up. A cross from the right from Torjus Hansen found the head of Armin Sistek, who beat Arason in the air to score the winning goal.

I replaced Heggem and Magallanes for Hansen Krogstad and Iversen late in the game but it wasn't enough to get an equalizer and we had lost ground on the leaders yet again.

Man of the Match - Gianni Guigou - 1 assist


21st September 2002
We had no game until tomorrow, but the rest of the league played today. After losing to Odd Grenland, we were hoping that both Rosenborg and Tromso would lose, but we had no such luck. Rosenborg beat Bodo/Glimt 5-1 and Tromso beat the bottom club Fredrikstad 2-1. Our Oslo rivals Lyn moved closer to us by beating Odd Grenland 1-0.

retired_spoonlawlor

No offence taken

æ, ø and å are the last three letters in our alphabet.

æ sounds a bit like the vowel in "catch"
ø sounds a bit like the vowel in "hurt"
å sounds a bit like the first sound in "alright".

The story looks nice.

retired_samiam

22nd September 2002
We travelled to high flying Start, knowing this would be our most difficult game since we resumed from the World Cup. Since the league had resumed back at the end of July, we had played Molde, Bodo/Glimt, Fredrikstad, Lyn, Viking, Aaleslund, Brann and Odd Grenland and only picked up 9 points out of a possible 24, and four of those sides were the bottom four.

The game today against Start was against a team in terrific form, only a point behind us, away from home. I wasn't confident.


I was able to bring back most of my first team after the mass change against Odd Grenland. However, our ever-present Arason had picked up a slight knock, so Stensrud started in his place.

In defence, the stand-ins Krohn Haaland and Forsell were replaced by Grotta Grav and Mabizela. I had been disappointed with Mabizela's performances recently and would be keeping a close eye on him. In midfield, my favoured defensive duo of Hovi and Persson started, but central midfield was still a problem area. Bertheussen and Bjorn Johansen still weren't 100% so Gashi retained his place.

Up front, I was glad to welcome back the trio of Berre, Fredheim Holm and Iversen.


Start 1-2 Valerenga
The game started in great style for us, as it had against Odd Grenland. We took the lead within 5 minutes, after Berre dribbled nearly 40 yards, tricked his way past the defender Thomas Nordnes, and clipped it over the goalkeeper Kenneth Bardseng. It was a terrific goal, and the boost we solely needed.

We continued to dominate the game, and Grotta Grav hit the bar with a crashing long shot. In the 33rd minute, a bad tackle by Bard Borgersen, the Start captain, on Iversen gave us a penalty and the chance to create daylight, but Mabizela missed the penalty, and that miss seemed to panic our side, and we were fortunate to hang on to a 1-0 half time lead.

The second half started slowly for us, with Stensrud having to make several key saves. In the 62nd minute, we finally got the goal which settled us down. Berre eluded the tackle of Borgersen, clipped it wide to Persson and his cross found Fredheim Holm unmarked, and he had time to take it down, control it, and find the bottom corner.

We thought we were safe, but just a minute later, a Nordnes cross found Alex Valencia and he rose higher than Mabizela to head home. 2-1.

The last half hour was nervy, and there was some excellent defensive work done by Berre and Persson. We were able to hold on for a vital away victory against a top quality side.

Man of the Match - (Start player) Alex Valencia (AM RLC) - 1 goal


Rosenborg weren't playing today, but Tromso regained form with a 2-1 win against bottom club Fredrikstad. Elsewhere, Lyn kept the pressure up with a 1-0 win at Odd Grenland.


24th September 2002
After analysing the match against Start, and previous matches as well, I was very concerned with the form of Mabizela, and called him into the office for a chat. After a short period, it was clear that he felt his talents were too big for the club and he wanted to move to a bigger club. I brought up the fact that our goalkeeper Arason also felt the same but had put in some tremendous performances, while Mabizela's had slipped. He had no answer but the end result of our meeting was that I, reluctantly, put him on the transfer list with a price tag of around £2.5m. It would be a helpful sum of money but I was disappointed that we probably wouldn't see the best of him again, which was a great loss. I was also worried about Forsell or Haugland's ability to play consistently well in the right back position.


26th September 2002
After a recent poor run of form, including last week's defeat to Lyn, Odd Grenland sacked Arne Sandsto today. It would seem from initial reports that the unemployed Vegard Skogheim is the favourite to succeed him.


29th September 2002
A massive day for us. We welcomed Tromso to our stadium, knowing that a victory here would do wonders for our title opportunities. A victory was especially needed since Rosenborg were playing bottom placed Fredrikstad at home, so we felt they were almost certain of 3 points.


After last week's effort against Start, several players were again slightly unfit so changes were forced upon us. Stensrud retained his place in goal, despite Arason's recovery. I had already made the decision in my mind to transfer list Arason at the end of the season, as I didn't want any players at the club who weren't totally dedicated. I had not told Arason this yet because I may require his services in some tough games in the next few weeks, and I didn't want his form to drop.

In defence, Grotta Grav was out, replaced by Krohn Haaland. Mabizela was dropped and probably wouldn't play for the first team again. Forsell was my choice as a temporary successor. In the middle, Johnsen and Skrbic started together for the third straight game. In midfield, Hovi started again, although Persson wasn't quite fit. Kjaer made a welcome return, and in central midfield, Bertheussen was finally fit enough to start.

Up front, Berre kept his place, and in Fredheim Holm's absence, Gianni Guigou made a rare start. Iversen kept his place after a late fitness test.


Valerenga 3-0 Tromso Att. 9,681
A terrific game and a terrific result, although it started slowly. I was disappointed by the crowd, and the first half was a nervous affair, with both sides knowing that a defeat could signal the end of their title ambitions. Both sides had only a few chances, and they were easily missed.

The 0-0 score at half time wasn't surprising, and I expected the second half to follow the pattern of the first and hoped we could nick a goal. However, it was the complete opposite of that. We started the second half so brightly, and we took Tromso by surprise.

Berre started making more runs behind the defence and was found on more than one occasion by excellent balls from Hovi and Guigou. I could see his confidence growing, and when he challenged back and won the ball on the half way line, I expected something brilliant.

I got it. He beat the tackles of Karim Essidiri, Joel Cedergren and their captain Roar Christensen before placing the ball to the left of the goalkeeper Kim Arne Deinoff to score an excellent goal.

He repeated his dribbing skills just 10 minutes later, as he picked the ball up from a Hovi pass, nutmegged Cedergren and curled the ball past Deinoff to put us 2-0 up. It was a sublime piece of trickery and a magic finish.

With 70 minutes on the clock, he completed his hat-trick in slightly less dramatic fashion. A Hovi cross found Iversen's head, Deinoff blocked the attempt at goal, and Berre was there to finish it off.

We easily played out the remaining 20 minutes to win a tough game 3-0, and give us a real chance of the title.

Man of the Match - Morten Berre - 3 goals


That win was made even more special when we learned that Rosenborg had lost 3-1 to Fredrikstad - an amazing result. We now looked in a great position in the league. In other results, Lyn couldn't continue their good run - they were held 2-2 by Molde - a disappointing result for them as well. Ham Kam recorded a 2-0 win over Aaleslund, a result which condemned Aaleslund to relegation.


<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * Norwegian Premier Division - Sunday 29th September 2002********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2002 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Tromsø 23 9 0 2 28 12 5 0 7 18 23 42 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Vålerenga 23 6 3 3 28 14 6 2 3 24 15 41 3rd Rosenborg 22 9 0 1 28 10 3 3 6 15 21 39 4th Start 22 7 2 2 27 13 4 2 5 15 21 37 5th Brann 23 7 2 2 22 17 3 4 5 15 23 36 6th Ham Kam 22 7 2 2 23 12 3 2 6 14 22 34 7th Lyn 23 8 0 3 19 11 2 4 6 19 25 34 8th Odd Grenland 22 5 2 4 23 18 5 1 5 16 19 33 9th Lillestrøm 22 5 2 4 25 15 4 3 4 20 22 32 10th Fredrikstad 23 8 1 3 25 16 1 2 8 14 28 30 11th Viking 22 6 4 2 27 19 1 2 7 6 20 27 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12th Molde 23 6 3 3 26 19 1 2 8 15 32 26 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13th Bodø/Glimt 23 3 5 4 17 18 1 2 8 15 32 19 14th R Aalesund 23 2 4 5 15 18 1 1 10 6 30 14 </pre>


We were still a point behind Tromso, and Rosenborg could move above us and onto level points with Tromso if they won their game in hand. Start could also move onto 40 points, just 1 behind us if they won their game in hand, so it looked like there could be just 2 points between 4 teams at the top.

The last three games will be very tight, and we had a potential title decider against Rosenborg in just 3 days time. We followed that up with games against Lillestrom, which we should win, and a final day game with Ham Kam, which could be tricky.

retired_samiam

2nd October 2002
Just three days after our excellent 3-0 victory over Tromso, we travelled to defending Champions Rosenborg for a match that was being billed as a title decider.

After playing our strongest side against Tromso, several of the players were unfit for this match, and it made our team selection a little tricky. Our right and left backs Forsell and Krohn Haaland were both out, and were replaced by Kindervag and Grotta Grav. Johnsen and Skrbic retained their central defensive positions in the absence of Aliga.

Our two most consistent defensive midfielders, Hovi and Kjaer, were both out - they had to be replaced by the inexperienced reserve player Heggem, and Persson. Bertheussen was also unfit - his central midfield role was taken by Gashi. Up front, Berre continued his excellent attendance record by declaring himself fit, but Guigou had to be replaced by Jonas Johansen. Fredheim Holm wasn't quite fit enough, but he took up a substitutes position.

The biggest blow came when Iversen pulled up in training before the match with a knee problem - he had to be replaced by Magallanes.


Rosenborg 4-1 Valerenga
The game started poorly, as the inexperience of Heggem in midfield and Kindervag in defence allowed Karl Oskar Fjortoft to wander into the area unattended, and his shot hit a post, fell to Vidar Riseth, and he put us 1-0 behind within 5 minutes. After the goal, we started to get a foothold in the match, and Berre and Jonas Johansen combined well on several occasions, but Magallanes fired wide to spurn the chances.

The game's turning point came in the 22nd minute, when Berre reacted badly to a Riseth challenge, and pushed him away, which the referee deemed was a straight red card, and we had lost our most likely goal-getter. More importantly, we had also lost our shape, and we down to just Jonas Johansen and Magallanes as the only real serious goal threats against a disciplined Rosenborg defence.

Our problems increased 10 minutes later, when Heggem pushed Alex Odegaard in the penalty area, and Rune Bolseth converted the spotkick. We were fortunate that Heggem escaped with a yellow card.

Then, just three minutes after the penalty, Johnsen gave away a needless freekick, and Riseth curled it in from 25 yards.

We went in at half time 3-0 down, down to 10 men, and knowing it could have been worse. We also knew that the title was slipping away. I decided to keep faith with the existing 11 players, and see if we could grab a goal back early in the second half.

We definitely started brighter, and again Magallanes missed a good chance. With 63 minutes on the clock, changes were needed, and I made a triple substitution. Skrbic, Heggem and Jonas Johansen all came off, and were replaced by Forsell, Hansen Krogstad and Fredheim Holm. The changes disrupted our play a little bit, and Rosenborg started creating more chances, culminating in their 4th on 75 minutes. Oyvind Storflor crossed the ball in, and Thorstein Hulstad climbed above Ronny Johnsen to head home. The game was well and truly beyond us.

We did manage a small consolation three minutes from time - a Kindervag cross from the right finding Magallanes, and his header found the bottom corner, but we were beaten easily and comfortably, and the title looked like it was beyond us.

Man of the Match - (Rosenborg player) Vidar Riseth - 2 goals

In other games today, Tromso moved further away from us with a 1-0 win over Lillestrom, and Start continued their title push with a convincing 4-0 win over Ham Kam.

We now had a 2-week break before the last 2 games of the season against Lillestrom and Ham Kam.



7th October 2002
After sacking their manager a few weeks ago, Odd Grenland hired Vegard Skegheim today. Skegheim had previously only managed at non league level, so it seemed a risk.


12th October 2002
Rosenborg extended their lead at the top of the table with a 3-1 win over Ham Kam in today's only match.


16th October 2002
We knew the title was all but over, but we welcomed Lillestrom today, knowing a victory would put pressure on our rivals. We also had to rely on Start and Tromso dropping points, and since Tromso had a match with already-relegated Bodo/Glimt and Start had a relatively simple task of overcoming Fredrikstad, our hopes weren't high.

We were able to welcome back a lot of first team players after they didn't feature against Rosenborg.

Forsell and Krohn Haaland came back into defence, alongside the captain Johnsen and the returning Aliga. In midfield, Hovi and Kjaer returned and Bertheussen was in central midfield. Up front, it was a little trickier. Fredheim Holm had picked up a slight knock in his cameo role against Rosenborg, and Berre was suspended. Gashi took up one of the attacking midfield positions, while Guigou filled the other. In the absence of both Iversen and the unfit Magallanes, there was a rare start for Iddi Alkhag.


Valerenga 4-1 Lillestrom Att. 11,494.
A deceiving score for what was a very close game. We got off to an excellent start. A long ball by Johnsen found Guigou, and he controlled it before slipping it forward to Hovi, who finished in style. A lovely goal after only 4 minutes.

Lillestrom rallied well after the goal, and the second half was extremely tight. Neither side had a shot on goal, and retaining possession in the midfield was proving difficult. We were glad to go into the half time break 1-0 up, but Lillestrom struck to cancel that lead out early in the second half.

Bertheussen mis-timed a tackle 30 yards out, and Pal Strand struck a ferocious free kick to make the game level. A few minutes later, I decided to introduce three new players in the hope of injecting some life into the game. Forsell and Haaland had been decent enough in the tackle, but hadn't been able to get forward and supply crosses, so both of them came off, and Skrbic and Grotta Grav came in. Up front, the ineffective Alkhag was replaced by Sando.

The changes had no effect and the game continued to be scrappy, with very little chances falling to either side.

With just 5 minutes left on the clock, a Grotta Grav cross found Guigou's head, and his flick on found Hovi, who notched his second of the game from close range. That goal came us a boost, and seemed to take the life out of Lillestrom, and it was no surprise when, just 2 minutes later, Sando burst free, and although his shot hit the post, Bertheussen was following up to put us 3-1 up.

The game was won, although Hovi was able to put the icing on the cake deep into injury time. Another Sando shot was blocked, and Hovi curled in the rebound from just outside the penalty area to give us a very flattering, but very welcome 4-1 victory, and to give Hovi his first hat-trick for the club.

Man of the Match - Tom Henning Hovi - 3 goals


In the other games today, Tromso surprisingly lost 2-0 to already-relegated Bodo/Glimt, and Start beat Fredrikstad 3-2 to move level on points with us. Due to Tromso's defeat, Rosenborg could move 3 points clear with 1 game left with a victory against Odd Grenland in three days time.


19th October 2002
Rosenborg cruised to a comfortable 4-1 win against Odd Grenland today, all but confirming their successful defence of the Norwegian Title.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">********************************************* ************************************************** * Norwegian Premier Division - Saturday 19th October 2002********************************************** ************************************************** ================================================== ============================================== 2002 Table============================================= ================================================== =Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st Rosenborg 25 12 0 1 39 13 3 3 6 15 21 48 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Tromsø 25 10 0 2 29 12 5 0 8 18 25 45 3rd Vålerenga 25 7 3 3 32 15 6 2 4 25 19 44 4th Start 25 8 2 2 31 13 5 3 5 21 26 44 5th Brann 25 7 2 3 23 20 4 4 5 19 25 39 6th Lyn 26 9 1 3 22 13 2 4 7 20 27 38 7th Ham Kam 25 8 2 2 25 13 3 2 8 15 29 37 8th Odd Grenland 26 5 2 6 27 26 6 1 6 18 23 36 9th Lillestrøm 25 5 3 4 28 18 4 3 6 21 27 33 10th Fredrikstad 25 8 1 4 27 19 2 2 8 17 29 33 11th Viking 26 6 4 3 30 23 2 3 8 13 26 31 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12th Molde 24 6 3 3 26 19 2 2 8 19 35 29 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13th R Bodø/Glimt 25 4 5 4 19 18 1 2 9 15 33 22 14th R Aalesund 25 3 4 6 17 20 1 1 10 6 30 17 </pre>

Rosenborg's goal difference was +20, compared to Tromso's +10, so it would take a 6-0 win for Tromso over Molde tomorrow, and a 5-0 defeat for Rosenborg against the same side, Molde, in 5 days time for Rosenborg not to win the title. A highly unlikely prospect.


20th October 2002
We travelled to Ham Kam today for our last league match, and our players looked tired. They knew the title was beyond them, and training over the last few days had been poor. I knew that we still had to perform in order to finish in 2nd or 3rd and get in contention for a European place, but it was tricky motivating the players.

Hovi had picked up a slight knock in training and since I wasn't confident in Heggem's ability to replace Hovi, Krohn Haaland moved up from defence to fill a midfield role. Grotta Grav came into Krohn Haaland's defensive position. On the other side of defence, Skrbic replaced Forsell.

In midfield, Kjaer was replaced by Persson, and Bjorn Johansen made a welcome return to the first team, replacing Bertheussen. Berre came back after his suspension, Jonas Johansen replaced Guigou, and up front, Hansen Krogstad was given a chance. Iversen, Fredheim Holm and Kjaer were all on the bench.


Ham Kam 2-1 Valerenga
A poor end to the campaign, but it summed up the last quarter of the season for us. We started well enough, and created several good chances. We took the lead with an excellent free kick by Bjorn Johansen on the stroke of half time, and thought our luck had turned.

We were forced into replacing Berre for Fredheim Holm during the interval due to an injury, and almost immediately after the restart, our luck turned again. Fredheim Holm was fouled by Arve Lilledrange, but the referee ignored it, and Lilledrange's shot struck the post and fell nicely back to him, and he buried the rebound. An unfortunate goal all round.

As the game started to peter out into a 1-1 draw, I tried to change things about up front, and brought on both Magallanes and Iversen for Hansen Krogstad and Jonas Johansen, but we still couldn't find the breakthrough. Then, with 10 minutes remaining, Johnsen headed clear a corner only as far as Dag Halvorsen, and his volley smashed into the top corner. It was a lovely finish but we didn't deserve to lose the game.

Man of the Match - (Ham Kam player) Jarl Andre Storbaek


It was a disappointing end to the season, and our frustration was complete after learning that Start had beaten Bodo/Glimt 5-2, and Tromso had given their 6-0 target a good go, by beating Molde 4-0. Those results meant we would finish 4th, after being in with a chance of the title for so long. It was also annoying that a player that had agreed to join us in a month's time (Storbaek) had played so well for our opposition.

Rosenborg needed to avoid losing by 7 goals against Molde in 4 days time to win the title.