Sandnes beat Raufoss 3-0 in the First Division Regular Season on Saturday. The away side took all three points from the 20th round fixture in Kristiansand. Three goals from three different scorers sealed the result before the hour mark.
And here's the thing about that first goal — it came at 39 minutes, not long before half-time. A. Bruseth finished off what looked like a decent move, catching Raufoss sleeping for a moment. The hosts had 52 per cent possession but couldn't build much from it.
Sandnes doubled their lead at 50 minutes when A. Nyhagen made it two. To be fair, Raufoss had been under pressure all along, but this was the moment they folded. The away side had fewer attacks overall — 103 to 111 — but were sharper when it counted.
Discipline became an issue after the break. Y. Agyeman picked up a yellow card at 56 minutes, and D. de Ornelas de Conno joined him at 67. Sandnes stayed clean on cards throughout, which is worth noting when you see how the game played out.
The third goal came at 73 minutes through M. Sundberg, and by then Raufoss had no answers left. Five substitutions followed between the 60th and 85th minutes — A. Achinioti-Jonsson and E. Sildnes off together at 60, then D. Arifagic at 68, M. Aanesland at 77, O. Sundgot at 81, and Y. de Lanlay at 85.
The statistics tell a simple story. Both sides landed five shots on target each, but Sandnes converted theirs while Raufoss found no way back into it. The hosts had 13 corners to five, but corners don't put points on the board.
For Raufoss, this drops them further down — 16th place with 19 games played and 22 points. Sandnes sit 12th with 20 points from 19 matches. Neither side is in danger of relegation yet, but Raufoss have some work to do if they fancy their chances this season.
