Grindavik defeated Trothur Reykjavik 2:1 in the 1. deild on Thursday evening. The result came as a surprise given the gulf in league positions between the two sides. Grindavik sit 11th with 25 points while Trothur occupy third place with 41.
A. Gunnarsson opened the scoring in the 19th minute and doubled Grindavik's advantage from the penalty spot in the 47th. K. Kristjansson converted the spot-kick after the interval. The hosts also collected three yellow cards through S. Fridriksson, A. Gunnarsson and an unnamed player in the second half.
Trothur Reykjavik fought back late on with H. Ragnarsson netting twice in the closing stages. The away striker scored in the 83rd minute and added a second in the 89th to set up a tense finish. Grindavik held on despite being pushed back by the visitors' pressure.
And here's the thing — the statistics tell a different story. Trothur enjoyed 60 per cent possession and launched 90 attacks compared to Grindavik's 48. The visitors registered 19 shots with nine on target while the hosts managed 11 shots with four on target. Trothur had more corners and throw-ins but could not convert their dominance.
By then Grindavik had already secured the three points. The victory ends a run of two defeats in their previous three matches following the 1:4 loss to Afturelding. Trothur's late rally was not enough to change the outcome of what had been a one-sided contest for large stretches of the match.