Tromsø claimed a 3-2 victory over HamKam at Arena Romssa on Sunday, a result that keeps the hosts within touching distance of the top four. The match, played under clear skies, finished with a late own goal that settled any remaining nerves after a contest that swung both ways. By then, the home side had already shown enough composure to see out what could have been a difficult afternoon.
The opening exchanges belonged to Tromsø, who moved quickly into the penalty area. Mohamed Ofkir broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, finding space between the markers before slotting past the goalkeeper. Four minutes later, Morten Bjorlo doubled the lead, capitalising on a loose ball in the box. HamKam looked rattled, and the hosts were in control of the tie.
Heine Asen Larsen added a third in the 60th minute, running onto a through pass and finishing with authority. And here's the thing — the game looked comfortable until Henrik Udahl had a penalty cancelled by VAR in the 71st minute. The incident went to review, and the decision stood, but it shifted the momentum. HamKam began to believe, and we had backed a home win at 45 per cent confidence, which proved prescient.
The visitors pulled one back through Vegard Erlien in the 85th minute, forcing a tense finale. Vetle Skjaervik then bundled his own team into their net moments later, ending any hopes of a comeback. Snorre Strand Nilsen picked up a yellow card in the 77th minute, a caution that reflected the growing tension as HamKam pushed for something.
Tromsø dominated the statistics, registering 66 per cent possession and 11 shots on target compared to the visitors' two. The hosts completed 641 of 713 passes, while HamKam managed 274 from 352. Such a disparity in shots — 15 within the penalty area for Tromsø against just three for the visitors — suggested the game was decided by efficiency rather than volume.
The result leaves Tromsø third on 38 points after 21 matches, maintaining pressure on the sides above. HamKam remain in 13th place with 23 points, a gap that feels significant at this stage of the season. Things came to a head at the end, but the result was never truly in doubt once the hosts took their chances.
