Ham-Kam Swarm Past Levanger in NM Cupen Rout, Ekeroth Shines in Lopsided Quarterfinal

On a chilly October evening at Tobb Arena Levanger, Ham-Kam delivered a clinical performance, sweeping aside Levanger 5-1 to book their place in the next round of the NM Cupen. The Eliteserien side never looked troubled against a battered Levanger, with Anton Ekeroth’s brace providing both style and substance to a statement win that laid bare the gulf between Norway’s upper and lower tiers.

The match was all but decided within the opening quarter of an hour. Ham-Kam, intent on imposing their tempo from the first whistle, struck within a minute—catching Levanger’s defense flat-footed, a lightning start that left the hosts chasing shadows. By the 13th minute, Ekeroth had doubled the advantage, slotting home after a sweeping move that showcased Ham-Kam’s technical superiority and confidence built on top-flight pedigree.

Levanger, whose struggles in the 2. Division have been amplified in recent weeks, looked shaken by the early onslaught. The hosts, still reeling from a harrowing 0-7 defeat to Strømmen just three days prior, must have felt the weight of their form suffocating any aspirations of a cup upset. Defensive gaps widened under pressure, and with each misplaced pass, the gulf between the sides became more pronounced.

Ham-Kam’s control tightened after the break. In the 67th minute, a third goal—calmly finished after Levanger failed to clear their lines—dimmed any hopes of a comeback. Ekeroth, finding pockets of space almost at will, notched his second two minutes later, giving the visitors an unassailable four-goal cushion and underlining his growing reputation as a difference-maker in knockout football.

It was only late in the contest, with the outcome long since settled, that Levanger found a brief flicker of consolation. An 86th-minute strike salvaged a modicum of pride, ensuring the home crowd didn’t leave empty-handed. But as the game ticked into added time, Ham-Kam restored their four-goal advantage, capping an emphatic performance with their fifth of the night.

Levanger’s frustration was evident—not through ill-discipline, but through the hollow resignation of a side at the limit of its resilience. Remarkably, the match saw no red cards, though the physical toll of chasing superior opponents was etched on every Levanger shirt by the final whistle.

For Ham-Kam, this was more than a routine cup win. It marked a powerful assertion of intent following a patch of inconsistent league form. The men from Hamar had entered the tie on the back of a 1-1 draw against Fredrikstad and a morale-boosting 4-0 thrashing of Rosenborg, but recent losses to Tromsø, Strømsgodset, and Sarpsborg 08 had left questions about their sharpness. Tonight, any doubts about their attacking verve melted away. Ekeroth’s finishing, combined with the team’s disciplined press, points to a side peaking at the right time—dangerous news for any cup hopefuls still in the draw.

Levanger, meanwhile, find themselves at the crossroads of a difficult campaign. Outclassed in the cup and marooned mid-table in the second tier, their recent run has been unforgiving: four losses in five league matches, including the aforementioned hammering at Strømmen and a demoralizing 1-5 loss at Grorud. Only a late rally against Stjørdals-Blink on September 20, when they scored three times in the last ten minutes, offers a reminder of their latent spirit—one that was stifled from the outset tonight.

The teams have met infrequently in recent years, their paths crossing only in cup or preseason fixtures, with Ham-Kam generally enjoying the upper hand. That trend held on Wednesday, with the visitors’ professionalism and ruthlessness underscoring the gap between Norway’s professional elite and its aspirant challengers.

As the NM Cupen progresses, Ham-Kam’s convincing win sends a clear signal to rivals—this is a side rediscovering its rhythm, with Ekeroth and company primed for the bigger stages ahead. For Levanger, attention now shifts to salvaging league respectability, with the pressing need to regroup and rediscover the form that briefly flickered just weeks ago.

October’s chill may linger in Levanger, but for Ham-Kam, the night ends with the warm glow of progress—and no shortage of ambition as the cup campaign intensifies.