Kópavogur saw off Leiknir Reykjavík 2:1 in regular season round 18 of the 1. deild on Thursday evening. The hosts held on after a late flurry of goals to take all three points from their home fixture.
And here's the thing — the opening goal arrived in the 50th minute when K. Karlsson found the net for the home side. Leiknir pushed back hard and D. Halldorsson equalised seven minutes later, but A. Gunnarsson's strike in the 81st minute proved decisive. To be fair, both sides went for it after that point.
The match was punctuated by constant tactical adjustments. There were substitutions every which way after the hour mark, with Kópavogur bringing on K. Karlsson and T. Thorvarsson together in the 70th minute. By then the managers were clearly looking to see out the game differently.
Statistically, the hosts edged possession at 53 per cent and registered 137 attacks against 134 from Leiknir. Shots were limited though — Kópavogur managed three on target with four off, while the visitors could only muster two shots on goal from five attempts. The result suggests chances went begging rather freely.
Discipline wasn't exactly pristine either. Kópavogur picked up five yellow cards to Leiknir's one, with A. Atlason collecting a pair in quick succession. Two more bookings came in stoppage time that didn't change the outcome.
The victory keeps Kópavogur fifth in the table on 36 points from 22 games, four ahead of Leiknir in seventh on 28 points. It's a narrow gap, and one that suggests neither side has much room for error as the season progresses.