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| Breathless late drama as VSU clinch 2nd |
Viking South Utsira survived one of the wildest finishes to a game anyone at Ragnar Rock can remember this Tuesday, to book a playoff spot for next week.
The Norsewomen were in a four-way tussle for the top two places in Division 4h going into this week's penultimate round of fixtures. But with the two in front playing the next two down, Viking could clinch a top 2 finish if both they and leaders Gazzas Girls won or at least avoided defeat. Gazzas duly came out on top 1-0 in their match at Throop Ladies, keeping the latter down in 4th.
But at home to San Quirico, the Utsirans lost their best player Bergljot Kvalvik to a horrible injury after just 3 minutes then went a goal down late in the first half. With the scoreline 0-1 unchanged as the game entered its 90th minute, that ensured Gazzas would take the title but would leave a single point between VSU in 2nd and Quirico in 3rd.
However, with no time left on the clock Charlotte Klovning got on the end of a Kristin Hovland corner to level the scores up at last. Summoning fresh energy, the Blood Eagles sprinted back to the centre circle and went again and in two minutes into time added on they somehow scored again making it 2-1 when Nina Austrheim met another Hovland cross.
Yet there was still time for yet another twist, as in the 94th minute Quirico equalised again with the last kick of the game, 2-2. Mercifully, despite all that drama, once the dust had settled there was still a four-point cushion between Utsira and Quirico going into the last game.
On the final day the Norsewomen host Throop, but the visitors losing their second-last outing means they can't catch VSU for the playoff slot. With Gazzas now assured of top spot, after all the permutations the final day's play is actually only dead rubbers as far as the top four are concerned.
Viking can therefore take it easy and just look to squeeze all the remaining opportunity to give the players who still need it as many minutes on the field as they can during the guaranteed 180+ minutes left next Tuesday and Thursday's play-off combined.
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