Gustav Lundgren’s stoppage-time goal condemned Degerfors to a crushing 1-2 defeat against GAIS on

Gustav Lundgren’s stoppage-time goal condemned Degerfors to a crushing 1-2 defeat against GAIS on Saturday, dealing a severe blow to their fight against relegation. The loss means Degerfors remains on the relegation playoff spot, level on points with Örgryte who have a match in hand, with two rounds of matches remaining.

Degerfors had not won since September 5 and looked set to end their nightmare when Dijan Vukojevic’s goal in the 58th minute seemed sufficient. The result would have seen them draw level with Kalmar and pull clear of Örgryte and Halmstad around the relegation zone. However, with six minutes remaining, Joackim Fagerjord equalized, and in stoppage time, the nightmare continued for Degerfors as Lundgren struck the winner.

Lundgren’s Late Heroics

Substitute Gustav Lundgren, making his fourth appearance of the season after returning from a long-term injury, became the match-winner for GAIS in the 92nd minute. It was his first goal of the season. The goal came from a long ball from GAIS goalkeeper Mergim Krasniqi, a header from William Milovanovic, allowing Lundgren to find space and score, with Degerfors’ goalkeeper Matvei Igonen appearing to be slightly off his line.

– Det var skönt att få komma in och få göra mål. Det var kul. Det var väl inget kanonavslut, men han (målvakten) var väl lite på fel fot där, säger Gustav Lundgren till TV4.

For GAIS, who were playing for a good table position rather than direct relegation concerns, the victory was significant. Lundgren, who had torn his Achilles tendon in the pre-season warm-up and missed most of the season, including the World Cup this summer, expressed his relief at scoring his first goal after his tough injury.

Degerfors ‘Nattsvart’ After Late Collapse

The defeat was a heavy blow for Degerfors, who had led for the majority of the match. Vukojevic, who scored the opening goal, was visibly distraught after the loss.

– Vi sover. Vi har ledningen så pass långt in i matchen, men vi sover. Det är brist på kvalitet i viktiga moment. De pressar och vi står och sover på hörnan och vi sover vid 2-1. Just nu känns det nattsvart, säger Vukojevic till TV4 efter matchen.

His sentiments were echoed by the wider feeling within the camp, with Vukojevic adding that it is “knapt att jag hittar ord, så tungt är det nu.”

Örgryte Benefits from GAIS Victory

The result in the GAIS vs. Degerfors match was met with jubilant reactions from Örgryte. Just after Örgryte drew 0-0 with Västerås SK, news broke of Degerfors’s late collapse, which lifted the team on the same number of points as their rivals.

Örgryte’s goalkeeper Alex Rahm commented on the situation: “– Man vill ju aldrig att GAIS vinner, men i dag fick de faktiskt göra det. Det var viktigt för oss, speciellt när vi bara tog en poäng här, säger Öis-målvakten Alex Rahm.”

Örgryte’s coach Andreas Holmberg, whose brother Fredrik is the coach of GAIS, was particularly pleased with the outcome and even joked about his feelings towards the match-winner, Gustav Lundgren.

– Jag har spelat inomhusfotboll med honom några gånger och snurrat upp honom, säger Holmberg och ler. – Det är en så fin kille alltså. Varje gång jag träffar honom blir jag lite halvkär. Jag visste inte att han hade gjort målet, men nu får jag skicka ett sms till honom också.

Lagmate Mikael Dyrestam summed up the feeling: Det är vi väldigt tacksamma för. GAIS har hjälpt oss i två matcher nu, while Anton Andreasson added: Kul för honom och kul för oss!.