Lars-Jørgen Salvesen was the big player of the match with three scores, with the winning goal coming after just over an hour. The forward is up to eleven goals this season, two fewer than Molde’s top scorer Kristian Eriksen.
– This was extremely delicious. We get 0-2 down and it’s a tough task to turn that around. We just have to weed out those crap goals. It was a really solid second half, Salvesen told TV 2.
Viking is in the medal race with a few rounds left in this year’s season. With a win on Saturday, there is a difference of two points to Brann in second place, while there are three points down to Molde in fourth place. All the teams around Viking have played one game less. Sandefjord is four points behind Haugesund in the qualification place.
Sandefjord led 2-1 when Viking coaches Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim and Morten Jensen had seen enough of the team’s lack of grip on the game after 40 minutes. This led to several shifts.
Defended the spoils
Herman Haugen was among those who were taken off, and the right-back was very unhappy about it. He gave a few messages to the coaching staff before going into the locker room.
– Of course they were disappointed. They feel that it is going to them, but we are a team, and the game required us to make changes in the first half, Aarsheim told TV 2 during the break.
Before that, Jakob Dunsby and Loris Mettler had ensured a 2-0 lead for Sandefjord before Salvesen scored two goals.
Viking will face Kristiansund away in the next match, while Sandefjord will welcome Odd.
Dunsby sent Sandefjord into the lead after seven minutes, in acrobatic fashion. Eman Markovic hit the cross which Dunsby sent home after throwing himself around.
Salvesen became the hero
After 24 minutes, the ball was again in the net behind Viking goalkeeper Jacob Storevik. Loris Mettler tapped in from 20 meters and sent the ball into the corner. Then the hosts would come to life. Lars-Jørgen Salvesen headed the corner kick from Zlatko Tripic towards the goal. There the ball went over Alexander Ruud Tveter’s head before it went into the net.
After 40 minutes, Sander Svendsen, Haugen and Simen Kvia-Egeskog were replaced, while Christian Cappis, Jost Urbancic and Yann-Erik de Lanlay came on.
Only minutes later came the equaliser. Substitute Cappi’s shot was blocked, but Salvesen was waiting for the return, who scored.
20 minutes after the break, the decision was made. De Lanlay passed the ball on to Salvesen, who steered it into the goal.
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THE FACTS
Elite series men Saturday, 27th round:
Viking – Sandefjord 3-2 (2-2)
Goals: 0-1 Jakob Dunsby (7), 0-2 Loris Mettler (24), 1-2 Lars-Jørgen Salvesen (27), 2-2 Salvesen (43), 3-2 Salvesen (65).
Referee: Espen Eskås, Bækkelaget.
Yellow card: Christian Cappis, Viking, Jakob Dunsby, Stian Kristiansen, Sandefjord.
Vikings (4-3-3): Jacob Storevik – Herman Haugen (Yann-Erik de Lanlay from 40.), Gianni Stensness (Tobias Moi from 45.), Sondre Langås, Viljar Vevatne – Sander Svendsen (Jost Urbancic from 40.), Joe Bell, Simen Kvia-Egeskog ( Christian Cappis from 40.) – Peter Christiansen (Nick D’Agostino from 62.), Lars-Jørgen Salvesen, Zlatko Tripic.
Sandefjord (4-3-3): Hugo Keto – Filip Loftesnes-Bjune (Stian Kristiansen from 83.), Fredrik Berglie, Martin Gjone, Vetle Walle Egeli – Loris Mettler, Sander Risan Mørk (Simon Amin from 58.), Filip Ottosson – Jakob Dunsby (Elias Jemal from 71. ), Alexander Ruud Tveter (Stefán Ingi Sigurdarson from 58.), Eman Markovic.
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