Not until just over 80 minutes had been played in Eidsvoll, could Molde breathe a sigh of relief. The match lasted a long time and tipped at 2-1 to the guests, but Rafik Zekhnini’s 3-1 scoring finally shattered Eidsvold Turn’s dream of advancing to the fourth round of the NC.
Before the end, Magnus Grødem managed to put on 4-1.
The 2nd division team, which on Wednesday was led by its third head coach in a week, was expected to get it tough against the blue-clad from Molde. The big favorites only let the last defender Jacob Karlstrøm rest from the biggest profiles.
MFK took the lead by Martin Linnes after 27 minutes, and barely ten minutes later, midfielder Benjamin Tiedeman got a golden opportunity to send the away team two goals ahead after a corner kick. The hosts’ cage keeper wanted it differently, and shortly after, Eidsvold Turn had the opportunity to equalize from the penalty spot.
In a duel against Molde goalkeeper Oliver Petersen, Ole Andreas Nesset made no mistake, and the teams thus took the break talk at the position 1-1.
After a sustained pressure after the break, substitute Magnus Grødem made it 2-1 to Molde, while Zekhnini and Grødem removed all doubt in the final minutes.
Hectic day
Sandefjord, which on Tuesday had to take the long bus trip north to Trøndelag after NFF rejected the application for postponement, got off to a good start away against Byåsen.
Just over halfway through the first half, they took the lead after an unfortunate own goal by Sander Halgunset. A quarter of an hour after the change of sides, Jonas Horten equalized, before Mohamed Ofkir sent the elite league team back in the lead midway through the second half. Sandefjord won 2-1 from Trondheim.
At Sotra, Haugesund was visiting in what turned out to be a poor first half, and it would take almost an hour before the guests got a hole in the boil thanks to a goal from Martin Samuelsen. 0-1 was the final score.
The league leader continues
Lillestrøm opened well at Åråsen in a meeting with Aalesund, but the league leader struggled to create the great opportunities against a compact away team.
After a close and even first half, the hosts succeeded just before the teams went to the break. The young boy Eskil Edh found spearhead Hólmbert Fridjonsson inside the penalty area. The Icelander reacted instinctively and hammered the ball into Sten Grytebust’s right corner.
After an impressive victory against Strømsgodset in the second round, Gjøvik-Lyn took on Stabæk on Wednesday in the hope of creating a new cup miracle. The dream was quickly shattered when the guests took the lead by Gift Emanuel Orban after just over ten minutes played.
The division difference gradually became very clear, and the away team put on both 2-0 and 3-0 before the half hour was over. After an hour played, Herman Geelmuyden put in Stabæk’s fourth, while Fitim Azemi ensured the guests’ fifth just a few minutes later.
Before the end, both Kaloyan Kostadinov and Azemi managed to add 6-0 and 7-0 to Stabæk.
Tough for Moss
In Moss, the surprise team from the second round took on Start. The big chances were missed for a long time, but after 36 minutes, the evening’s first ball was in the net. A brilliant free kick by Cameron Cresswell kept the visitors in the game.
Five minutes after the break, the hosts’ Kristian Strande was unlucky when he put the ball in his own net, and made it 2-0 to Start. After 59 minutes, Kristoffer Tønnessen made it 3-0, which was also the final result at Melløs.
At Grefsen Stadium, Kjelsås and Skeid will go out in extra innings after 3-3 at full time.