Fortuna end Brøndby reign

Fortuna Hjørring have ended Brøndby IF's six-year run as Danish women's champions after clinching the league title with a match to spare.

Victory
Leading 2008/09 UEFA Women's Cup quarter-finalists Brøndby by four points ahead of their trip to SønderjyskE, Fortuna won 3-0 to ensure Brøndby's 3-2 defeat of Skovbakken IK was not enough for them to remain in contention when they go to Hjorring next Saturday. Camilla Sand Andersen put dominant Fortuna ahead on ten minutes and although SønderjyskE improved after the break, substitute Kristine Pedersen outsprinted their defence to double the lead just past the hour and her cross was turned in by Tanja Mejer Christensen late on. "It was not a great game from our side, but we won 3-0 and took the Danish championship one match before the end, and that is what counts," Sand said.

European entry
With their domestic success Fortuna have booked a place in the inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League Round of 32, while Brøndby will enter in the qualifying round from 30 July until 4 August, with the draw on 24 June. Fortuna's only UEFA Women's Cup entry was in 2002/03, when they reached the final, but for now Flemming Nielsen is enjoying their league victory. "We have been good at focusing this season, not least against the weaker teams in the league," he said. "Furthermore, we have had a very strong goalkeeper and a strong central axis, while our forwards have also improved during the season. It has been a bit tough here in the last phase of the season without the injured Mariann Gajhede, but we also managed to overcome that problem."