Mikkelsen thrilled as Faroes triumph
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Article summary
Faroe Islands 2-1 Lithuania
Goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen, 39, shone on his final home appearance as the islanders recorded a rare qualifying victory.
Article top media content
Article body
The Faroe Islands defeated Lithuania 2-1 to record their first FIFA World Cup qualifying victory in eight years.
Hansen winner
The islanders took the lead in fine style on 15 minutes when Súni Olsen drilled into the back of the net from just outside the area, only to be pegged back on 23 minutes when Tomas Danilevicius scored from the penalty spot. Arnbjørn Hansen was the home hero, however, as he nodded what turned out to be the winner in the 35th minute. Lithuania dominated possession after the break but found 39-year-old goalkeeper Jákup Mikkelsen unbeatable on the occasion of his final home cap.
'Incredible performance'
"This was an incredible performance by the team, and I'm very happy that we achieved such a result in my final home international," said Mikkelsen. Coach Brian Kerr added: "We expected to get a good result and it's fantastic to get a win in our last home match in this competition." Lithuania made a storming start to the section, winning 3-0 in Romania before claiming the scalp of Austria, but a fourth straight loss leaves them with it all to do to secure an unlikely second place in the pool.