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| VSU play support at Sabbath title party |
Viking South Utsira got to experience the other side of an Xpert Ladies title party last Tuesday, after Black Sabbath star Michelle Thakoerdien rewrote history to give herself an overdue storybook ending.
Two seasons ago, top-flight rookies Viking were flying implausibly high in their maiden crack at the highest tier but had to entertain Sabbath in the penultimate fixture with a multifaceted title race coming to its business end. And VelvetAndroid's side were duly dominated in the crucial game by the enormously powerful visitors, who were four-time defending champions and in with a real shot at snaring a fifth successive crown.
Yet in that match, a series of twists of fate you would never script because they would seem ludicrous all coming at once, Thakoerdien not only missed a 35th-minute penalty but VSU keeper Ilone Kvalvik played out of her skin to keep the champs at bay for the entire game, meaning the 90th minute came and went with the shots stats reading 0-5 but the scoreline still 0-0.
Then, in the first minute of stoppage time, Viking finally created their first and only opening all match when they won a corner and Yasmine Klovning's delivery was met by cousin Irja Klovning who powered her header past the great Karolina Fryxell to snatch a seemingly impossible victory. The Blood Eagles of course went on to clinch an extraordinary title the week later, beating old rivals Wælcyrie in their final fixture at, appropriately, the Fólkvangr Field to secure immortality.
Seven months later however the boot is very much on the other foot as Viking go to Black Sabbath in the penultimate fixture of Season 73 with their hosts this time looking for the win they needed to ensure they would end the campaign back on top of the Xpert Ladies world. This time Sabbath made no mistake -- Fryxell kept her 40th clean sheet from 51 matches in the last two campaigns, and 70th in total on what was also her 100th competitive appearance.
Just to perfectly flip the script, this time it was the hosts who scored the winner with their one and only chance when captain Thakoerdian this time beat Kvalvik with a direct freekick on 66(6) minutes to ensure she will lift the trophy yet again next week.
As the home celebrations got underway, Viking slipped off quietly back to Utsira and preparations for what will be an entirely dead rubber with also-relegated Bucovina Panthers to finish both clubs' three-season stint among the elite.
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