Sunday 8 November 2009

Silkeborg IF 0 v 1 Odense BK

Saturday 7th November 2009
Danish Superliga
Silkeborg Stadion, Silkeborg
Score: 0-1
Admission: 120 Danish Kroner 
Programme: Free
Attendance: 3702
Match Rating: 3













Having arrived in Aarhus in the morning thanks to another bargain Ryanair flight, I made the very pleasant train journey through the Danish Lake District to the small town of Silkeborg, in central Jutland on the Danish mainland, for this top flight Danish league match between Silkeborg and Odense.













The Silkeborg Stadion is about a half hour walk from the train station, and although you can buy tickets in advance from the club website, I bought my ticket at the gate, for 120 Danish Kroner (about £15). On entering the stadium, matchday programmes (in a newspaper format) are handed out free of charge, and I took my seat behind one of the goals. The Silkeborg Stadion is a typical Scandinavian stadium, fairly small with a capacity of 8,500, but is very well maintained. There are covered all-seater stands on three sides of the stadium, with one end of the ground providing uncovered standing for away fans. The trees in the background at this end of the ground give the stadium an attractive rural feel to it. 













The game promised to be an intriguing affair, with the home team, newly promoted to the Superliga and lying in 5th place up against the league leaders who had only lost one game so far this season...away to Silkeborg back in August. For an English football fan, it was interesting to see Henrik Pedersen (ex Bolton Wanderers) line up for Silkeborg, and Eric Djemba-Djemba and Roy Carroll line up for Odense.













On a wet and windy night, the game was a cagey affair, very even with reasonable chances for both sides, but in the end, Odense scored the winning goal on 73 minutes with a somewhat fortunate goal. The ball was crossed low from the left, with no Odense forwards lurking to tuck the ball away. Unfortunately for Silkeborg, their defender Jim Larsen did the job for them, inexplicably slicing the ball past his own keeper and into the corner of the net. Silkeborg had some good chances to equalise, particularly in the dying minutes of the game, but Odense held on to claim the win. 

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