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LÅNGHOLMEN

Långholmen advance to cup quarter finals

Atletico Nacka 2-5 Långholmen FC

Långholmen advance to cup quarter finals
Photo: Per Hägglund

The turning point in this game was undoubtedly the dismissal of Nacka’s burly stopper Andreas Fredriksson. That combined with a penalty miss before the game made for a bad day for the home team.

The sun shone brightly at Boovallen for this encounter and a crowd of around 60 witnessed a stable performance by Långholmen as they took care of business and disposed of any notions of a cup shock that Nacka may have had before this game.

Atletico put up good resistance for the first 30 minutes of play, though the away side had more possession of the ball and created a few chances in the opening exchanges. One downside to their play was poor distribution at times with passes going astray on more than a couple of occasions.

The Stripes were forced to play this game without Ciaran McCormack, Anton Björlund Bergstrom and Wilhelm Karlsson, while striker Andy O’Sullivan is still away on a trip to South America. However the players that came in acquitted themselves very well indeed.

Colm Kenny once again received the Ultras’ man of the match award for a solid performance and a superb goal to boot. The cocky Irishman showed some excellent close control on the flank before sending in an inch perfect cross to Deri Thomas who with the deftest of touches clipped the ball past Sebastian Selin in goal.

Långholmen took control and really should have taken the lead shortly after. Atletico’s Alex Mukabi looked a danger on the left side and constantly tried to breakthrough but the red shirted defence held firm.

With a minute left of the first half Fredriksson hauled Kenny down just outside the box and was red carded for his troubles. The striker dusted himself down and fired in a fantastic free kick to give his team the lead at the interval.

It was a determined Nacka who looked the livelier of the sides at the beginning of the second half but they just couldn’t create a direct route to goal. Pete McConnell played a fantastic ball to Chris Allen who lobbed the keeper on the hour mark.

At this point the home team’s heads went down and the Stripes stormed towards their goal, but poor finishing kept the score down until Hentmark scored on 67 mins after a great stop by the keeper who managed to parry Allen’s shot onto the bar, only to see the young Swede knock the ball past him for number four.

Allen completed the away team’s account before Nacka got a consolation goal from a spot kick on 84 minutes. Not the best performance Långholmen will give this season but enough to put them into the draw with teams from a couple of divisions higher up. More importantly though, the new league season kicks off next week with a derby match against Reymersholm and another journey into the realms of division four football.

For further coverage, including audio interviews with some of the players, visit Långholmen FC’s website

FOOTBALL

Playing IFK Gothenburg a ‘dream come true’

Stockholm's international football club Långholmen lost their Swedish Cup draw against league superstars IFK Gothenburg on Monday night, in a fairytale opportunity the team captain called "a surreal dream come true".

Playing IFK Gothenburg a 'dream come true'

Almost 700 fans turned up in Stockholm to see the game, with the vast majority supporting the Stockholm side, however the raucous and non-stop cheers of the crowd were not enough to claim a victory for Långholmen, who lost 0-9.

CLICK HERE FOR A GALLERY OF PICTURES FROM THE MATCH

The Local chatted to club captain Andy O’Sullivan after the game about taking part in what many dubbed as football’s David and Goliath match of the year.

The Local: How would you describe the team’s mood after the game?

Andy O’Sullivan: It was celebratory, there was an overwhelming feeling of pride, and positivity about the future. We all went for a few beers and watched the report on SVT Fotbollskväll and it got a huge cheer! It was bizarre that Manchester United versus Everton was on one TV and Långholmen FC vs IFK Gothenburg was on the other!

The founding members of the club were all in attendance… and I think for them it is a rather surreal dream come true. To see what they have built over 10 years… from having a kick around in the park to playing a competitive match against Sweden’s most successful club IFK Gothenburg.

TL: What was the reaction to the huge turnout and all the international interest?

AO: The atmosphere at the game was electric. All the fans and friends of the club have been revelling in the wider press coverage. From The Guardian to the BBC, The Sun and the national radio, La Stampa in Italy and beyond – the feedback and response to our achievement have been universally positive.

It’s true that LFC has been mentioned as the antidote to the corporate commercially-driven Premiere League on offer. The romance around this game has captured the hearts of a lot of people. We have received well wishes from all across the globe, and I think the fans last night showed what a special club LFC is.

TL: What were the highlights of the match for you?

AO: The players worked so hard, and really gave it everything. Gothenburg came here to do a job and played their first eleven. They showed no mercy and punished us at the end of the game when we were tired. I think it is a credit to the Gothenburg players that they gave us a lot of respect and took the game seriously.

Speaking to Tobias Hysen after the game, he said that they enjoyed games like this too, a game with a real story behind it.

For us, Chris Allen did great in goal despite the score line, and the two centre-backs Andy Mclelland and Ciaron McCormack were outstanding. The whole defence stood up to immense pressure and the squad acquitted themselves very well. It was difficult to keep the ball and match the physical performance level of the Gothenburg players, but we had a little spell in the second half where we managed to keep the ball and maintain our shape.

TL: Was the final score an accurate reflection of the match?

AO: I think 0-9 is a harsh result. They scored in injury time in the first half and 3 goals in the final ten minutes of the game. Obviously the lads were exhausted and this just shows the level of fitness between the professional teams and the rest. They clinically punished our mistakes, and we have no complaints. But I thought 0-6 would have been a fairer score line… one goal for each league between us.

TL: What next for the club?

AO: Onwards and upwards. We have a league match on Thursday night as we fight to stay in Division 4. This is a local derby against FC Krukan, and a very important match. I hope as many fans come down to cheer us on again: Kick off 2000 @ Essinge IP.

Below: Watch as Långholmen fans keep the crowd entertained at the match behind the linesman’s back.

Oliver Gee

Follow Oliver on Twitter here

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