Rana Edge Past Stalkam in NM Cup Opener
Rana secured a 3-2 victory over Stalkam in the first round of the NM Cup on Thursday evening, a result that came despite the hosts taking an early lead. The match at the stadium on 21st August proved more competitive than most opening fixtures, with neither side able to hold their advantage for long.
Stalkam struck first, with T. Olsen finding the net in the fifth minute — a goal that set the tone for the opening quarter. Rana responded quickly, and by then K. Rade had equalised just before the half-hour mark. The momentum shifted again when S. Hagen put the visitors ahead fifteen minutes later, a sequence that showed Rana's ability to switch off at a set piece and then recover.
What followed was a match that refused to settle. J. S. Halsen restored parity for Stalkam in the fifty-third minute, and for a while it looked like extra time might be needed. But M. B. Nilsskog went for the jugular in the seventy-first minute, and that proved sufficient to separate the sides.
Rana arrive with mixed recent form — two wins and two losses in their last five outings, including a heavy 4-1 defeat to Levanger last month. They had beaten Trigg/Lade 3-2 at home in February, but since then results have been uneven. To be fair, this away win against a strong opponent suggests they're finding their rhythm at the right time.
The visitors now sit in a better position in the competition than they did before kickoff. Stalkam, meanwhile, will have to regroup quickly — they were dominant early but fell apart after the opener, and that pattern has cost them in previous seasons. This is a cup tie that could have gone either way, but Rana's depth showed through when it mattered most.