Eli Just (AC Horsens | Denmark)

YoungHeart

Seems like these blokes Just and McCowatt have been pretty quiet of late. Helsingør haven't exactly been in the best of form either - 1 win in the last 5 matches.

Bouncing back to the top of the league this morning however with a crushing 4-1 win over fellow promotion contenders Fredericia.

69 minutes for McCowatt, 83 minutes for Just, each with an assist (2nd and 3rd goals respectively). No Pijnaker in the matchday squad.

All three now link up for International duty this coming week.

7am kick off so I gave it a watch, Helsingør were totally dominant the whole game, Fredericia scored from a good counter-attack off a Helsingør set piece inside 3 minutes then basically said ‘come break us down’. They essentially parked the bus and let Helsingør have all the ball, which seems to happen a lot even in these top-of-the-table games, and almost got them to half time.

4 tidy goals, McCowatt’s assist was a ball from the top left corner of the box across the 18 yard to Christensen to side-footed first time, and Just’s was on a break where he slipped in Adamsen who cut inside and had his shot deflect past the keeper. Fredericia basically didn’t get in Helsingør’s half until the 70th minute when they were 4-1 down, so it was all one way really.

Just also picked up a yellow for giving a guy a shove during some handbags after a Helsingør defender flew into a tackle.

Pijnaker not injured one assumes, but still can't make the team.

Poor trainer??

MetalLegNZ

Pijnaker not injured one assumes, but still can't make the team.

Poor trainer??

It's never easy to break into a top of the table side.

Helsingor had 25 yr old (5 years experience in the Danish 2nd tier) and 28 yr old (had 5 years in the Danish Superliga) starting CBs against Fredericia. The 34 yr replacement CB who came on has over 6 years experience in this league.

Pijnaker will have to bide his time.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2021/11/08/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/fc-fredericia/3511364/

FYI - his parent club Rio Ave are currently 4th in the Portuguese 2nd tier.

Really good interview with John Gardner, co-owner of Helsingør FC, who was discussing some of the more disappointing aspects of Helsingør Stadion. Top of the list being the fact that if Helsingør were to be promoted to the Danish Superliga, they would have to relocate to play their home matches some 30 odd km's away at 'Right to Dream Park in Farum (amongst others).

They will not have dispensation to play at 'home' as their ground will not meet Superliga criteria in terms of facilities and capacity. 

I found it a very interesting 5/6 minute interview. Gardner comes across quite well and very involved across most aspects of the club, but you can sense his disappointment/frustration at some of the strange circumstances they find themselves dealing with.

Another goal for Just as top of the table Helsingør take on Fremad Amager. Currently 2-0 Helsingør after half an hour.

Golden chance for Helsingør to open up a little bit of a lead at the top of the table too after Hvidovre slipped up 2-1 at Hobro yesterday.

No McCowatt or Pijnaker in the matchday squad for Helsingør today either.

YoungHeart

Another goal for Just as top of the table Helsingør take on Fremad Amager. Currently 2-0 Helsingør after half an hour.

Golden chance for Helsingør to open up a little bit of a lead at the top of the table too after Hvidovre slipped up 2-1 at Hobro yesterday.

No McCowatt or Pijnaker in the matchday squad for Helsingør today either.

Finishes 4-1 to Helsingør (1st) away at bottom side Fremad Amager. Just off at 68 mins, with Liam Jordan. Score 4-0 when they came off.

Helsingør go 4 points clear of Hvidovre (2nd). They play Stamenic's HB Koge next, 2nd last game before winter break. Danny Hay may have been at this game.

Be interesting to see what happens to Pijnaker over the Danish winter break. Do Rio Ave recall him to Portugal, and maybe try another loan deal elsewhere? Looks like he's going to struggle to break into Helsingør's promotion chasing match day squad.

Scheduled Kiwi match up in Denmark tomorrow Helsingør (1st) to host Stamenic's HB Køge (7th). 2nd last game before the winter break. 

Think NZ gaffer Danny Hay will be there, awaiting his flight back to NZ pre Christmas MIQ.

coochiee

Scheduled Kiwi match up in Denmark tomorrow Helsingør (1st) to host Stamenic's HB Køge (7th). 2nd last game before the winter break. 

Think NZ gaffer Danny Hay will be there, awaiting his flight back to NZ pre Christmas MIQ.

0636FC93-7EB4-4CCC-9C30-621A0085FBC2.jpeg 490.1 KB

Hay and Kane Wintersgill (one of his assistants) came into their training today to have a yarn with coach Morten Eskensen and see how things are done, and of course get a photo with Callum and Elijah, though no Pijnaker. Hay might’ve also caught up with Liam Jordan, as he would have come up against him while Jordan was at Mt Albert Grammar and Hay was at Sacred Heart.

Wonder if parent club Rio Ave will recall Pijnaker to Portugal? 

Danish 2nd tier goes into long winter break (starts again 27th February 2022) from next weekend, and he ain't getting any game time at Helsingor.

Who knows all the ex Ole boys (Wilkins, Stamenic, Just & McCowatt) may head down to the Iberian Peninsula to train and keep warm, before hopefully AWs games in January. Hardly worth trying to head back to NZ, for 2 weeks in a hotel room, and no gtee when you will get a room.

Danish Kiwi matchup.

Just & Stamenic both starting as Helsingør (1st) host Stamenic's HB Køge (7th). McCowatt on the pine. No Pijnaker. Liam Jordan starting.

Hay in the crowd, CONCACAF dreaming.

McCowatt on at 70 mins for Just (score 0-0), with a 74th minute assist in a 1-1 draw. Jordan off at 70 mins also.

HB Køge (7th), grabbed a 85th min equaliser. Stamenic off before the goals at 65 mins. Both him & Just got a yellow.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2021/11/26/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/hb-koge/3511377/

Helsingør stay 1st, but Lyngby (2nd) won today to close within 1 point. Game next weekend, then long winter break until late Feb.

Brief goal highlights from today's Kiwi Danish derby. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61E2u1zGGWg

Starting final game of the year alongside Liam Jordan, before the long winter break. Away to Hobro (11th).

McCowatt on the bench. No Pijnaker, who may have already returned to Portugal, his loan deal from memory finishing 31st Dec.

Helsingør 2nd likely need to win, to go into the season break in top spot. A draw would take them top on GD from Hvidovre (1st), who have already played their final game of 2021.

But Lyngby 3rd only a point currently behind Helsingør, travel to Stamenic’s
HB Køge (7th) tomorrow.

A 2-1 win for Helsingør. They'll be happy.

Means they will finish the year top of the table (1-2 points clear), at bit over half way point of the season (18 games in, I think of 32 - is a 6 team each pro/rel split after 22 rounds).
https://us.soccerway.com/national/denmark/1st-division/20212022/regular-season/r63932/

McCwatt was subbed on at HT for Liam Jordan with score 1-1. Just subbed off at 77 mins, with Helsingør  2-1 up.

The 2 Kiwis haven't been scoring goals so regularly themselves lately, but the most important thing is they and their team are in with a real shot of promotion to Danish Superliga. Another season in the 2nd tier wouldn't be great.

To date Just 6 goals & McCowatt 4 goals. That's enough to be 3rd & 4th best scorers. Two Danish guys with 9 & 8 each. Liam Jordan 1.

Danish 2nd tier finally restarts after a nearly 3 month winter break. Helsingør (1st) host Nykøbing (6th).

Just starting and McCowatt on the bench. No Liam Jordan.

83 mins (score 1-0) & a yellow for Just in a 2-0 win. McCowatt subbed on at HT (score 1-0). 2nd goal was late on at 94 mins.

So Helsingør will at least maintain their two point gap on 2nd placed Hvidovre, who play tomorrow.

coochiee

83 mins (score 1-0) & a yellow for Just in a 2-0 win. McCowatt subbed on at HT (score 1-0). 2nd goal was late on at 94 mins.

So Helsingør will at least maintain their two point gap on 2nd placed Hvidovre, who play tomorrow.

 
Well worth the three points, but there will be bigger fish to fry when the league splits after three more rounds. Cal got the ‘pre-assist’ for the second goal, nicely slipping in Lyng who squared it for a tap in when two-on-one with the keeper.

McCowatt (80 mins) & Just (66 mins) credited with an assist each as Helsingør (1st) win big, 4-0 at one of their promotion rivals Hvidovre (3rd). Both Kiwis off with the score 3-0. McCowatt replaced by Liam Jordan.

Helsingør now 8 pts clear in  top spot. Looking good for promotion. Final round next week before top 6/bottom 6 split with Helsingør  to play bottom team
Jammerbugt. So all looking good for the moment.

Stamenic's HB Køge (8th) need to win tomorrow, and hope other results go their way in the next week to make the top 6.

All 3 Kiwis will play for their clubs 18th March, but should be good to go for the 2nd AWs pool game verus Fiji 21st March, if required.

When they split so they take their points with them and just play a final round? Or is it some kind of playoffs like the A League? 

JasperNix

When they split so they take their points with them and just play a final round? Or is it some kind of playoffs like the A League? 

 
Full points carried forward, 10 more games, home/away vs the other 5 teams.

Helsingør (1st, 51 pts) host Hvidovre (4th, 47 pts).

McCowatt & Just both start. Liam Jordan on the bench. Out of curiosity Jordan hasn't played for South Africa since June 2019.

Note 3 teams 2nd-4th all on 47 pts. So Helsingør, coming off 3 straight losses need to stop losing, to nail down promotion!
7 rounds left.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/04/22/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/hvidovre-if/3770943/

Edit - Full game Just & McCowatt off at 72 mins (score 1-2). Jordan an 84th min sub.

Helsingør (1st, 51 pts) lose 1-2. They are in trouble. 4th loss in a row. A month ago they were 8 pts clear in first spot, and had just beaten this same team Hvidovre (3rd, 50 pts) 4-0 away from home. It's all unravelled since.

Lyngby (2nd by GD) are also on 50 pts. If Horsens (4th, 47 pts) win tomorrow that will be 3 teams all now only 1 point behind Helsingør. They need to turn things around fast. Top 2 teams only get promoted.

I hope they don't bottle this. 6 games to turn it around, after what had been a pretty stellar run up until about four matches ago... 

Would be fantastic if they were both in the Danish Superliga next season. Still a long way to go in this one though.

What’s going on at FC Helsingor? Doesn’t appear to be injuries, don’t throw this one away guys.. 

Helsingør (3rd) host Fredericia (5th).

Crunch game you feel for Helsingør at home. Absolute must win, to turn it around, otherwise morale will be completely shot. Lost at Fredericia 4-0 a few weeks ago. Every other loss in this bad run has only been by a goal. Hopefully this is the game to stop the rot.

Just & McCowatt both start. Liam Jordan not in match day squad.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/05/06/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/fc-fredericia/3770948/

Edit - Helsingør up 1-0 at HT.

Helsingor win 2-1 and jump back into the promotion spot.  Vital win today - Eli with the winner!  Great improvised shot!

Helsingor largely dominated the game but their keeper was having a blinder.  Held on last 5 or so minutes for an important win - 4 games left to go to gain promotion    

Uncle N

Helsingor win 2-1 and jump back into the promotion spot.  Vital win today - Eli with the winner!  Great improvised shot!

Helsingor largely dominated the game but their keeper was having a blinder.  Held on last 5 or so minutes for an important win - 4 games left to go to gain promotion    

Good stuff. Promotion dream stays alive. McCowatt off at 67 mins (right after Just's goal) and Just at 84 mins.

Helsingor yes go 2nd, as Lyngby (now 3rd) lost to Horsens (1st).

Next week for Helsingor a trip to Horsens in virtual promotion 6 pointer. Though in reality top 4 teams are only separated by 6 points (and 4th placed
Hvidovre have a game in hand) - so is going to be very tight race until season end.

The highlights from their important 2-1 win. Eli with the winner! 

https://youtu.be/qDeHybQ0k_c

The oppositions keeper had a blinder!

Uncle N

The highlights from their important 2-1 win. Eli with the winner! 

https://youtu.be/qDeHybQ0k_c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDeHybQ0k_c
Off the shin? Well taken anyways, coming at him at an awkward height. 

Is Helsingor's field one of those spongy artificial turfs? Bobbling ball seemed to an issue throughout the game. Obviously warmer spring still to arrive yet in Denmark.

From Flying Kiwis. In video below, be aware the commentary is out of sync, about 3-5 seconds ahead of the action.

Here’s the goal that Elijah Just scored to win the game for FC Helsingør vs Fredericia

Snapped a five-game losing streak and put FCH back into the promotion spots 🤙 #FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/uuCVpQY9U1

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) May 7, 2022

It was an unchanged XI for FCH from the team that began the defeat to Lyngby. Holding tight with the main lads despite the awful run of results. That confidence seemed to help them against Fredericia as Helsingør produced one of their best attacking performances in months, getting out on the front foot early and keeping up that danger for pretty much the whole way. Eli Just had an early crack at goal blocked. McCowatt tried one from distance on the half-volley but it was straight at the keeper. Fredericia’s pace on the counter kept up a threat but two can play at that game and a turnover in midfield allowed McCowatt to dash forward in a move that ended with a Just shot deflected over the top.

FCH finally took the lead in the 44th minute. Captain Daniel Norouzi with the banging finish after a mistake at the back had allowed the ball to sneak through to him in the area with space to pick his spot. Fortunate as it happened, but a well-taken strike and a deserved lead going into the break. A lead, however, that didn’t last as long as they’d have liked. 52’ and Oliver Olsen found some space of his own on the right side of the penalty area for Fredericia and smashed one low towards goal which snuck under the goalie. Good strike, should still have saved it. The move had come about from a broken bit of play as the Helsingør defence wasn’t able to lock things down.

To their credit, FCH wrangled things back in their favour straight away. A bicycle kick from Mikkel Knudsen was quite brilliantly saved. The same Fredericia keeper was at it minutes later when Just fed McCowatt in the box and his curler was palmed away at full stretch. Then another top save from a header off a free kick delivery. But right as it was starting to feel like another cursed afternoon... Eli Just came to the rescue.

2-1 and that was the way it ended. Same as how that five-game losing streak has now ended. Three massive points to get the FC Helsingør promotion train back on the tracks and they got a huge boost there as, half an hour before the end of their game, the final whistle blew on Horsens beating Lyngby 2-1 which puts FCH back up to second on the ladder for the second promotion spot. They play Horsens next week and a win will send them first again. Right back where they started the championship phase.

Just was subbed off with six mins to go, McCowatt was subbed straight after the winning goal. That makes it 7 goals and 4 assists from 25 appearances for Just this season while McCowatt has 6 goals and 6 assists from 24 games. And they’re not done yet.

Huge game for Helsingør (3rd, 55 pts) hosting Lyngby (2nd, 56 pts).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/05/18/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/lyngby-boldklub/3770954/

Horsens (1st, 57 pts) favourites to win away at Nykøbing (6th), who have nothing to play for.

So Helsingør and Lyngby likely in a battle for that 2nd promotion spot. Do or die. 2 rounds left after this one

Just on the bench, with Liam Jordan.
McCowatt not in match day squad at all! Hopefully not injured.

Read that Hay will be at this game - so he'll be disappointed by the above.

Stamenic's HB Koge play tomorrow in Denmark.

Edit - Just & Jordan both on at 64 mins (score 1-1). Unfortunately Lyngby score again a few mins later, and is currently 1-2.

Edit 2 - finishes as a 1-2 loss and sadly a likely mortal blow to Helsingør's (3rd) promotion dreams. They go 4 points behind Lyngby (2nd), and 5 pt behind Horsens (1st) who won today.

Helsingør next travel to Hvidore (4th) who are still a very slim mathematical chance of promotion, whilst Lyngby and Horsens travel to teams 5th & 6th who both have nothing to play for. Lyngby and Horsens both win this weekend, or Helsingør fail to win, and Lyngby and Horsens both promoted with a game to spare.

What a choke!

4 points in 8 games since the split. Worst of all the clubs in the promotion group. 

That is a terrible choke and will likely cut very deeply in the off season. They're an ambitious club, who at the split would've been odds on favourites to get promoted. Disappointing would be an understatement.

Wonder if Just or McCowatt might have some interest shown in them from further up the chain? Both are very ambitious, and they'll both be wanting to be playing at a higher level before too long.

Helsingør (4th) host Nykøbing (6th) in their last game, with sadly nothing to play for.

Just starting and McCowatt plus Liam Jordan on the bench

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/05/29/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/lolland-falster-alliancen/3770960/

Edit - Fittingly for Helsingor a 2-3 loss to end a miserable few months. Just off at 59 mins when both McC and Jordan came on at 2-2

3rd goal conceded in 91st min. Helsingor finish 4th, 8 pts off promotion spots.

Helsingør host Vejle as new 1st Divsion (Danish 2nd tier) kicks off.
Just & Liam Jordan starting. McCowatt on the bench.

Vejle relegated from Danish Super Liga last season, so likely one of Helsingør's main promotion rivals this term.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/07/23/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/vejle-boldklub-elitefodbold-as/3795969/

Edit - Helsingør down 0-2 at HT.
Edit 2- Gawd. It could be a long season for Helsingør. Got spanked 6-0 at home!! 

Just off at 60 mins (0-3), & McCowatt on at 61 mins (0-3). Full game Jordan.

coochiee

Helsingør host Vejle as new 1st Divsion (Danish 2nd ier) kicks off.
Just & Liam Jordan starting. McCowatt on the bench.

Vejle relegated from Danish Super Liga last season, so likely one of Helsingør's main promotion rivals this term.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/07/23/denmark/1st-division/elite-3000-helsingor/vejle-boldklub-elitefodbold-as/3795969/

Edit - Helsingør down 0-2 at HT.
Edit 2- Gawd. It could be a long season for Helsingør. Got spanked 6-0 at home!! 

Just off at 60 mins (0-3), & McCowatt on at 61 mins (0-3). Full game Jordan.

Whelp that's a shellacking!

Need so sort themselves out quick this term as they move on from their failed promotion campaign last season, otherwise the rot may well continue.

Still, it's only match-day one. Plenty of time to dust themselves off and go again.

Hearing Elijah’s signed for Superliga club Horsens.

Awesome step for him, wonder if McCowatt follows him with a move up the divisions

Edit: link to an article

mrsmiis

Hearing Elijah’s signed for Superliga club Horsens.

Awesome step for him, wonder if McCowatt follows him with a move up the divisions

Wow, great move for him if true, and very well deserved at that. 

Denmark continuing to be a very good development pathway for young Kiwi's, it's so pleasing to see so many young lads coming into top tier teams too. Something that hasn't always been abundant in the footballers we produce.