Haugesund claimed a 4-3 victory over Sandnes Ulf in the First Division's regular season round 17 on Saturday. The result leaves the visitors fifth in the table with 34 points, while Sandnes remain 11th on 24 points after 21 games each.
The visitors struck first through P. Brekke in the sixth minute, catching Sandnes off guard. The hosts responded with a penalty converted by I. Skotheim at 49 minutes, and by then the match had settled into a rhythm that suggested a tight contest. C. Streete levelled for Sandnes at 62 minutes, and here's the thing — you'd have expected that to be the end of it.
What followed was a different story entirely. M. Scarcella gave Haugesund the lead at 74 minutes, and to be fair the visitors had been patient in build-up. O. Sundgot doubled the advantage at 88 minutes, and by then Sandnes were chasing shadows. S. Saugestad added a fourth just before the final whistle, capping a remarkable late turnaround.
Sandnes dominated possession at 54 per cent and registered 72 attacks compared to 64 for the visitors. Yet they managed only seven shots on target, while Haugesund found the net four times from five attempts on target. The statistics tell you everything — efficiency over volume, and the match was decided in those few decisive moments.
The result extends Haugesund's momentum from their 2-1 win over Moss last week, while Sandnes' recent form has been uneven with losses to Egersund and Kongsvinger. By then the gap between fifth and 11th felt wider than the points suggest, but football has a way of closing those gaps when least expected.