BERGEN (rosenborg.info): "I must admit that it's a little bit of fun that it was Brann we crushed," Roar Strand smiled.
After the match, he and his team mates celebrated the 20th league trophy, before securing it a 100 percent, together with a thousand visiting supporters. Scenes of joy and glee was seen, where Knut T�rum had the final fiestly moment when diving elegantly into the mud.
The game itself was pretty even, but Brann struggled to create chances. They had to have help from referee Terje Skjerven, who rewarded the home team a very cheap penalty kick after a duel between Christer Basma and Bengt S�ternes. Martin Andresen made no mistakes.
�yvind Storflor had, however, given Rosenborg the leading goal before half time: Marek Sapara fired away, and Erlend Hanstveit couldn't clear the rebound. Storflor snapped the ball, feinted himself free, and bent it in at the far post. The Brann audience's meagre hope for a gold medal was waning.
Steffen Iversen stepped up to the situation after Brann's equalizing goal, and first had one ball in the net annulled for offside when diving in on a failed shot/pass from Alexander Tettey. Merely moments thereafter, however, we saw 1-2: Storflor broke free on the left, passed in in front of the box, where Iversen rose and headed the ball in.
Brann tried hard to come back, but instead, Sapara got the honour of crowning the victory, when bending a free kick above the wall and into the close corner from 30 metres.
"We were eager in front, and solid in the back. At times we're pushed hard, but we do the right things. We have been good at finishing tight games to our advantage, and we saw a new example on this today. I feel that we win deservedly. Brann got their asses kicked at home," T�rum stated.
Now, Rosenborg naturally hopes for a point against Viking - or that Brann gives away points against Ham-Kam - so that the official gold part can be held at Lerkendal and not Fredrikstad.
PS! With two matches to go, Rosenborg leads with 6 points and have now a goal difference which is 13 better than Brann. It is close to decided, but not formally so yet.
Match Details
Brann
1-3
ROSENBORG
Martin Andresen pen. 49
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�yvind Storflor 36
Steffen Iversen 67
Marek Sapara 86
Rosenborg [4-3-3] Lars Hirschfeld - Roar Strand, Christer Basma, Miika Koppinen, Mikael Dorsin - Marek Sapara, Vidar Riseth (Yssouf Kone 82), Alexander Tettey - Jan Gunnar Solli (Daniel Braaten 61), Steffen Iversen, �yvind Storflor
