Johansfors IF v Konga SK, Swedish regional division 6

 

Johansfors IF 3-2 Konga SK
Swedish regional division 6, tier 8
Saturday 26 September, 12:00 kick-off
Johansfors Idrottsplats, Johansfors
Crowd: officially 48 (I counted about 60)

As the local football season here draws to a close I visit another club at the very bottom of the league pyramid, Johansfors IF, who are propping up division 6 (Emmaboda area). The village of Johansfors has a population of about 400 and has been built around a glassworks and sawmill. Johansfors IF were founded in 1929 and have, like so many village teams, an important social function in the community with teams for boys and girls. They play in all-blue. The club's main claim to fame is that the three Elm brothers (Rasmus, Viktor and David) started their careers here. Swedish readers will know all about them as they all played a part in Kalmar FF's sensational Swedish championship win in 2008 and two of them, Rasmus and Viktor, also won many international caps. I spotted David in the crowd today! 

Konga is a similar sized village about 43 km away and built around an iron works and then a paper mill. Both industroes have gone now but there is still a factory for making pipes and robot welding. The football club was founded in 1933 and has played in the lower divisions since then. They play in red and white.

Both teams are marooned at the bottom of the league with Johansfors on 5 points from 19 games and Konga on 11 points. Today's game is the last of the season and since there is no relegation they will both hope for better times next year. 

The ground

A pleasant and tidy ground situated beside a campsite on the edge of the village. This area has plenty lakes and rivers and is quite popular for tourists in the summer. The entrance is on the south side and for a senior like me the admission was a mere 20 kronor (about £1.50 or €1.80). There is a clubhouse with kiosk and changing rooms on that side and even a covered area in case of rain. There are several benches for fans. As at many small grounds here there was a guy grilling sausages on a barbeque outside. Full marks to the kiosk staff for rustling up a up of tea for me despite that beverage not being on the menu. I also bought the attractive club club mug for a friend.

The north side has a long line of benches plus the wooden dugouts and beyond that a solar power plant. The west end has an old fashioned mechanical match clock and the east end is empty.

The game

This was a hard-fought and very enjoyable match and the hosts fully deserved getting their second win of the season with great jubilation and relief at the end. Johansfors is a proud little club and have seen much better times so finishing bottom will hurt, but closing the season with a win like this will give them hope for better days next year.

It was end-to-end action from the start and Konga's Jafari had a decent shot against the post in the opening minutes. Then the hosts took the lead after 8 minutes when a fairly weak shot from Truls Eriksson Jonsson somehow found its way into the net. They could have doubled the lead when defender Johansson made a fine solo run but couldn't finish. Konga replied in the 25th minute when a throw-in from the left was cleared as far as Nooh Meary on the edge of the box and his rather mis-hit shot looped into the net. Johansfors went back upfield determined to regain their lead and did so with a goal from Monir Jafari, scrambled home after a corner from the left. At the break the hosts were well worth their lead.

Konga came out determined to get another equaliser and it came through a lovely header by the tall defender Kevin Ljungberg from a corner on the left. The hosts pushed yet again for the lead and tough forward Oscar Ahlström should have scored when he battled free of the defenders and rounded the keeper only to miss the open goal. As the game progressed things got more tense and tackles got tougher. in the 67th minute Johansfors' Melvin Linnér got a straight red card after bringing down a Konga player who was almost through on goal. 

Despite playing with 10 men Johansfors really wanted to win this one and they got their reward when a through ball found Milo Östgran who rounded the Konga keeper and slotted home what proved to be the winner. The visitors went all-out for an equaliser and things got rather intense. Konga's Nooh Meary was sent off just before the end for dissent and in added time the Konga keeper went up as an extra attacker but to no avail. Home keeper Randewall made some good saves and the hosts held on for the three points. The relief at the end was enormous and the team came off the field to a cheering home crowd.