Randers FC slay giant

After losing 4-0 at home to Hamburger SV in the Europa League, Randers FC took the fight to their Bundesliga opponents on 6 August. Naturally, the home team were hot favourites since there was clearly a massive difference in class and experience when the two teams clashed at Essex Park, and in front of a home crowd of 40,000+ Hamburger were expecting a walkover.

What they - and their fans - got however, was a Randers FC team full of fight and elegance, resulting in a deserved and historic 1-0 win. As Trainer John Faxe said after the match, the quality of play shown here by the players is just what is needed in the domestic SAS League competition to kick-start the season.

New goalkeeper from Down Under

Randers FC have agreed terms with FC Copenhagen for Australian youth international Nathan Coe. Trainer John Faxe has high expectations for the 25 year-old, who started his career with Brisbane Strikers. He impressed several European big name clubs during the Under 17 WOrld Championships in 2001 and was signed by Inter shortly afterwards. Another fine performance for Australia at the Under 20 World Championships secured a move to PSV Eindhoven in 2004 before joining FC Copenhagen in 2007. Coe now moves to Randers FC on a two year contract as replacement for Emil Ousager, and is expected to compete with regular first choice 'keeper Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard for a place on the first team.

Randers FC lose out to rampant FCM

An away defeat with a scoreline of 4-1 was the outcome of the all-Jutland clash between Randers FC and FC Midtjylland in Herning on 9 August. Despite playing well for long periods, Randers FC were unable to contain a rampant FCM team, despite Randers coming close to scoring first in the 32nd minute.

Play was well into the second half before a rebound off the bar from a Mikkel Beckmann long shot led to an FCM counter-attack which resulted in a goal when Frank Kristensen headed home. Randers equalised through a Kenneth Møller Pedersen penalty conversion in the 67th minute, but only 90 seconds later, the ball was in the Randers net again from yet another Frank Kristensen header. Despite a tactical shift onto the offensive by Randers Trainer John Faxe, FCM found the net twice more and despite several near-misses by a determined Randers FC attack, the match ended in a 4-1 defeat for Randers.

 
Disappointing scoreline against Brøndby FC at home

In common with the preceding match against FC Midtjylland, there was a lot of good Randers FC play at home against a resurgent Brøndby FC, but the same catalogue of errors. The result was a home defeat of 3-1 initiated after a 40th minute goal by Brøndby's Michael Krohn-Deli. 33 minutes of tense action were to pass before Randers FC equalised through a Søren Berg solo effort of spectacular and determined dribbling. The next goal came quickly when a Brøndby free kick resulted in Peter Madsen heading home for Brøndby and the coup de grace to the final scoreline of 3-1 followed shortly after.

Marc Nygaard collects award

Last season's top scorer in the SAS League, Randers FC's Marc Nygaard, collected a cheque for DKK 16,000 and a trophy before the match on Sunday from sports newspaper 'Tipsbladet'. The prize money reflected DKK 1,000 per goal and of course expectations are high for Marc to repeat his feat this season - once he is free from injury.