Maiden cup glory for Aalesund

Aalesunds FK have won the first trophy in the club's history by beating local rivals Molde FK 5-4 on penalties, following a 2-2 draw, in one of the most dramatic Norwegian Cup finals ever.

Mota miss
Amund Skiri fired in the deciding penalty after Molde striker José Mota had been the only player to miss from the spot in the shootout. Molde took the lead when Mame Biram Diouf bundled the ball in after 27 minutes and moved a step closer to their third cup success on 50 minutes when Aalesund's Fredrik Carlsen received his second yellow card and was sent off.

Late equaliser
The underdogs refused to admit defeat, however, and were rewarded when Glenn Roberts rounded the goalkeeper to level. In extra time, Biram Diouf pounced once again but Aalesund maintained hopes of an upset when Tor Hogne Aarøy headed in for the ten men on 115 minutes, and Skiri's composure from the penalty spot completed a landmark victory. "My players were fantastic," said Aalesund coach Kjetil Rekdal, whose side will play European football next season as a result. "We knew we had to play offensively even though we were down to ten men and we got our reward."