FKH Ladies, Football | FKH hunts local top player: – I was close last winter. They just have to try again

SOCCER: After 78 minutes of play away to TIL 2020 on Sunday, Ida M. Natvik scored FKH’s second goal of the season. But it didn’t count for points. FKH lost 1–2 and remains last in the 1st division table.

Sports manager Rune Lothe makes no secret of the fact that they are looking for offensive players.

Meryll Abrahamsen is high on the wish list.

Haugesund’s Avis knows that the 26-year-old from Veavågen was offered a contract with FKH this winter.

– There will come a time

– That is right. And I was close to agreeing. They just have to try again. There comes a time when I want to come home. Whether it will be now or a little later, I can’t answer that today, says Abrahamsen about the FKH flirtation.

She is now in her tenth season in the Toppserien. The offensive and goal-threatening midfielder has played for Avaldsnes, Arna-Bjørnar, Lillestrøm and is now in Stabæk.

She struggled with an injury in the build-up to this year’s season and is currently not in Jan Jönsson’s starting eleven.

On Saturday, she was replaced after 64 minutes and contributed with a goal and an assist when Stabæk won 7–1 away to Lyn.

Abrahamsen has also played ten international matches – and scored four goals – for the Philippines, including two matches in the World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand last year.

Her contract with Stabæk expires after this season.

– Will be a super upturn

– Meryll is local, has top league experience, offensive qualities and goals in him. A player in our target group that we would like to associate with us, says sports manager Lothe.

He says that there has been no dialogue since last winter.

– But we have not changed our view. We are interested in Meryll, and if there are opportunities, we will try again when the transfer window opens this summer. It would be a great boost to get her here, says Lothe.

FKH coach Thomas Dahle will welcome Abrahamsen with open arms.

– Meryll will eventually give us much-needed quality. She will become a reference player. It will be extremely exciting for us if she comes, says Dahle.

Neither he nor Lothe hides the fact that they are also hunting other players. Primarily offensive.

– Took us on pace and quality

Dahle acknowledges that two goals in five games in this year’s 1st division is not good enough.

– But we must not forget that we are in a process. We started with a completely new team three months ago and have prioritized defensive structure. It has worked ok. Then we will gradually get better going forward. The players are working hard, but we are aware that things will fluctuate. For now, we are a little too unstable, says Dahle.

He took the loss in Tromsø with composure.

– They caught us on pace and quality. We didn’t quite figure it out. We got up in the 2nd half and showed strong morale. But they were better than us, says the FKH coach.

Made four changes

It was two teams that have struggled so far in the season, who met at Romssa Arena in Tromsø on Sunday. FKH was last in the 1st division table with three points after their first four games. TIL 2020 had four points in five games, and had also put behind them a turbulent week after head coach Emil Inauen was dismissed on Tuesday.

FKH coach Thomas Dahle had made four changes after the 0-1 loss at home against Odd in the previous series round.

Frida Aursland was back in goal after the quarantine and replaced Synne Danielsen. In addition, Christina Ambjørndalen, Vanessa Madland and Emilie Guddal were replaced by Ingvild Hansen Høvring, Kristina Svandal and Ida M. Natvik.

Svandal was back from the start for the first time after a longer layoff due to injury.

Twice Trøan

The home team started best and had the ball a lot, but had to have help from FKH goalkeeper Aursland to get to their first opportunity. The guests from Haugesund escaped with a scare when Aursland played the ball straight into the legs of a TIL attacker after ten minutes of play.

Aursland got her revenge when she made a very good save on a shot from 15-16 meters after a quarter of an hour of play.

Soon after, FKH got a solid chance. Kristina Svandal flicked through Solfrid Bråthen, who was given a free lane towards goal. The shot went just wide.

TIL captain Mali Trøan was sharper when she got a free lane behind a high-ranking FKH defense after 25 minutes. Alone with Frida Aursland, she put the ball safely into the right corner. 1–0 to the home team. It was deserved.

And it would get worse. After 38 minutes, Solfrid Bråthen had to resort to illegalities in his own penalty area. The subsequent penalty kick put Mali Trøan in the goal. 2–0 and a difficult starting point for FKH before the 2nd half.

It could have looked better if Libe Haftorsen Brakstad had hit a little better on a header after a well-struck free kick from Kristine Nybru after 40 minutes. Unfortunately, the ball went just over the crossbar.

Created tension

TIL 2020 was also the leading team after the break and was close to 3-0 on a couple of occasions, including when they hit the post after 71 minutes. And there wasn’t much that indicated that it was going to be exciting until Ida M. Natvik got free on the left wing and put the ball safely past the TIL goalkeepers after 78 minutes of play. The score was thus 2–1.

It was clearly a vitamin injection for FKH. They managed to put some pressure on the home team towards the end, but never came to the big chance that could have provided an equalizer and a point.

This leaves FKH last in the table with its three points.

And perhaps most worryingly, just two goals in five games – 450 minutes.

The next league match for FKH is at home against Øvrevoll Hosle next Sunday, 12 May. But first, the 1st round in the NM away to the 3rd division team Sola awaits on Wednesday