Start regrouped with a solid home win over Fredrikstad while Alta slipped further from the promotion chase.
Start 1 - 0 Fredrikstad
Start rebounded from their worst loss of the Eliteserien season to down Fredrikstad at Sor Arena in Kristiansand.
The American duo of Hunter Freeman and Clarence Goodson anchored the Start back line for head coach Knut Torum and went the full 90 minutes helping lock down the shutout.
The three points for the hosts were critical ones as Torum's club successfully put away the disappointment of their disastrous 7-1 loss to Molde two weeks ago.
Start got their goal early when Mads Stokkelien scored in the 21st minute when Geir Ludvig Fevang curled a left footed pass that found Stokkelien in the penalty area who then shook off a Fredrikstad defender and fired a shot inside the left post for the game's lone goal.
Freeman almost found himself doubling the margin later in the first half but his shot from the right side went flying past the far post.
The visitors pushed for the equalizer in the second half yet never found the right combination as Freeman, Goodson and the Start defense thwarted any efforts.
The victory keeps Start in sixth place with 32 points and very much in the race for a berth in next year's Europa League as they travel to last place Lyn next week.
Valerenga 0 - 1 Lillestrom
A late goal for visiting Lillestrom sunk Troy Perkins and Valerenga at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo on Sunday afternoon.
Perkins started in his usual position between the pipes and went the full 90 minutes for player/coach Martin Andresen.
For the first 86 minutes of the match the Ohio native and Lillestrom goalkeeper Stefan Magnusson put on a goalkeeping show brushing away all shots that were fired at the two netminders.
Finally, Lillestrom's Frode Kippe broke the deadlock in the 87th minute when his flying header off a corner kick caught Perkins off guard sending the visitors to victory.
Kippe fought through the Valerenga defense and managed to nudge his head forward while taking the ball at a perfect angle and spinning it into the back of the net.
The defeat leaves Perkins and company mired in 10th place in the Eliteserien standings with 25 points as they hit the road next week to take on Mikkel Diskerud and Stabaek.
Haugesund 4 - 1 Nybergsund
Connor Tobin and Nybergsund suffered yet another loss when they traveled to Haugesund and got drilled by second place Haugesund in 1. Division action on Sunday at Haugesund Stadion.
Tobin reclaimed his starting position in head coach Ola Brenden's back line and went the first 88 minutes before being substituted for Stian Lund.
The struggled for the Nybergsund defense continued after conceding another four goals bringing their total of goals allowed to 35 on the season.
Only last place Skeid has seen opponents score more than Nybergsund as the bottom feeders have allowed 37 on the campaign.
It did not take long for Haugesund to get their offense going as Swedish forwrad John Pelu scored in the 9th minute to put the hosts on the scoreboard.
Nybergsund were able to equalize in the 22nd minute when Kim Ojo's pass found Jonas Bergman who scored to give Brenden's squad a boost.
The era of good feelings would not last though for Tobin and company as Tor Arne Andreassen scored in the 34th minute and then Thomas Sorum added another goal two minutes later sending the hosts to a comfortable two goal lead at halftime.
Serbian forward Nikola Djurdjic put the match away for Haugesund in the 69th minute when his shot from 20 meters out found the back of the net.
The defeat for Nybergsund leaves them in 12th place with 24 points, just one point ahead of the relegation zone as they return home next week to face Bryne.
Honefoss 2 - 0 Alta
Jay Needham's return to the Alta starting lineup was not enough as league leaders Honefoss claimed victory on Sunday at AKA Arena.
In an effort to help neutralize the potent Honefoss attack, Alta head coach Aasmund Bjorkman shifted Needham back to a central defensive role for Sunday's match which saw the Texas native go the full 90 minutes.
Bjorkman's squad had the very difficult challenge of trying to score on one of 1. Division's stingiest defenses while keeping the hosts' attack at bay as well.
For the majority of the first half, Needham and company were successful at keeping Honefoss out of the nets until the 39th minute when Lennart Steffensen scored to put the home team on the scoreboard.
Steffensen took advantage of the Alta defense's inability to clear the ball from the penalty area as the Honefoss defender had enough open space to deposit a shot into the upper right corner of the net.
At that point, Bjorkman knew he had to hitch his wagon to his horse in the form of Vegard Braaten but the prolific goalscorer was frustrated all day by the Honefoss defense and could not find the back of the net for the second match in a row.
The hosts finally put the game out of reach with a late goal in stoppage time when Andreas Tegstrom scored on a counterattack that was the result of the visitors desperately pushing forward for the tying goal.
The loss drops Needham and company down to ninth place with 26 points as they return to the friendly confines of Finnmarkshallen Arena next weekend to face HamKam.
Notes
Mikkel Diskerud was a late substitution in Stabaek's lackluster 0-0 road draw at Tromso.
Brian Waltrip did not suit up in Molde's road match versus Viking on Monday.
Goalkeeper Adin Brown did not factor in Aalesund's home loss versus Odd. |
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