2007.04.29 – League match – Fredrikstad - Viking – 2-0

Vikings worst display resulted in the season’s first defeat as Fredrikstad ran out 2-0 winners at home.

The visitors from Stavanger were never in the match and had a disastrous first half as Fredrikstad won every ball and played havoc with the Viking defence for 45 minutes. The home sides’ quick strikers Tarik Elyounoussi and Ismael Fofana took advantage of the big spaces behind the visiting defensive line, and it was only a good Iven Austbø in the dark blues goal that kept the defeat from being even worse.

Viking manager Uwe Rösler felt the team embarrassed everybody, including themselves. Rösler said: “It was only the goalkeeper, our two strikers and the substitutes Razak Pimpong and Thomas Pereira that have played at an acceptable level today. The rest were awful.”

Fredrikstad took the lead on 18 minutes when usually reliable defender Ragnvald Soma lost the ball in the middle of the park, and big spaces opened up at the back. Elyounoussi ran onto the pass and slotted the ball into the far corner. Five minutes later it was 2-0, when fullback Andres Prytz struck a 35 yard free-kick into the top corner. A brilliant goal that Viking goalkeeper Iven Austbø had no chance stopping.

The rest of the match was uneventful and Viking rarely managed to get the ball in front of the opposition goal. Viking captain Nikolai Stokholm could only apologies for the performance. Stokholm said: “We were not on the pitch in the first half, so they deserved to lead. Now we must pick ourselves up and come back stronger.”

Viking manager Uwe Rösler warns the players ahead of next week saying: “I hope the players have learnt something today. We are going to have a tough week of training to sort this mess out”

Match Facts
Fredrikstad FK – Viking FK 2-0 (2-0)
Goals: 1-0 Tarik Elyounoussi (18), 2-0 Anders Prytz (23)
Yellow Cards: Anders Prytz, Patrik Gerrbrand, Pål Andre Czwartek, Miika Multaharju (Fredrikstad), Hannes Sigurdsson, Nikolai Stokholm, Jørgen Tengesdal (Viking)
Attendance: 12 089
Referee: Kristoffer Helgerud

Fredrikstad (4-4-2) – Rami Shaaban – Pål Andre Czwartek, Patrik Gerrbrand, Vidar Martinsen, Anders Prytz (Miikka Multaharju 74) – John Anders Bjørkøy, Hans Erik Ramberg, Ciaran Martyn, Raymond Kvisvik (Øyvind Hoås 60) – Tarik Elyounoussi, Ismael Fofana (Brian West 84)

Viking (4-4-2) – Iven Austbø – Jørgen Tengesdal, Børre Steenslid, Ragnvald Soma, Øyvind Svenning (Thomas Pereira 24) – Søren Berg, Nikolai Stokholm, Jone Samuelsen, Andre Danielsen (Birkir Bjarnason 36) (Razak Pimpong 65) – Peter Ijeh, Hannes Sigurdsson

League Table (After 4 matches)
1.Lillestrøm, 10pts (GD 8-2)
2.Brann, 9pts (8-5)
3.Rosenborg, 7pts (9-6)
4.Fredrikstad, 7pts (8-7)
5.Sandefjord, 7pts (5-4)
6.Start, 6pts (7-5)
7.Lyn Oslo, 6pts (8-7)
8.Stabæk, 5pts (4-4)
9.Strømsgodset, 5pts (4-5)
10.Tromsø, 4pts (6-7)
11.Odd Grenland, 3pts (5-6)
-------------------------------
12.Viking, 3pts (2-4)
-------------------------------
13.Vålerenga, 2pts (2-6)
14.Aalesund, 1pts (5-13)