HamKam II Stuns Skjetten: Relegation Fighters Topple Promotion Hopefuls at Briskeby Arena

The floodlights glinted off wet turf as Friday’s autumn evening at Briskeby Arena delivered a result that few could have scripted: HamKam II, languishing near the foot of the 3. Division - Girone 3 table, dispatched fifth-place Skjetten 3-1 in a match that bristled with early shocks and late drama.

From the moment the referee’s whistle pierced the dusk, HamKam II played as though their season depended on it. Within just three minutes, the hosts seized the initiative with a quick-fire opener, latching onto Skjetten’s sluggish start and sending a tremor through both dugouts. The identity of the early marksman may be blurred in the chaos of that opening surge, but the impact was unmistakable—HamKam II had Skjetten under the gun before the evening had truly begun.

The early deficit failed to jolt Skjetten into life. Instead, it was HamKam II who doubled down on their aggression, pressing high and threatening with every foray forward. By the 39th minute, Moses Dramwi Mawa—a persistent threat all season for HamKam II—punished Skjetten’s defensive hesitancy, rifling home the second goal and stretching the lead to 2-0. Mawa’s finish was a moment of real quality, his precision and composure underscoring why he has remained a bright spot even as HamKam II’s campaign has lurched between hope and despair.

For Skjetten, the pattern was worryingly familiar: a side with playoff ambitions stifled by a team desperate to avoid the drop. The visitors struggled to wrest control of midfield, their passes lacking conviction, their attacks easily repelled. Matters worsened after the break. Only fifteen minutes into the second half, the hosts struck again—a third goal that felt, for the first time on the night, like the beginning of the end for Skjetten’s hopes.

Trailing 3-0, Skjetten pushed bodies higher up the pitch, opening themselves to HamKam II counterattacks but at last managing to claw back a measure of their attacking verve. Their efforts yielded a late consolation strike with five minutes remaining, finally breaching HamKam II’s back line to make it 3-1. But by then, the outcome was beyond doubt. Briskeby Arena, typically subdued during this trying season, roared at the final whistle with a mixture of relief and long-awaited celebration.

This result upends the expectations set by the recent form of both clubs. HamKam II had entered the fixture with just two wins from their last five, their most notable result a resounding 6-0 demolition of Ullensaker/Kisa II. But consistency has been elusive: losses to Gjøvik-Lyn and Bjørkelangen, both by a solitary goal, underscored the fine margins separating modest progress from another lost campaign. Yet when it mattered most, HamKam II summoned the urgency and ruthlessness their supporters have craved.

For Skjetten, the defeat is a jarring interruption of their upward momentum. Despite taking draws against Lillehammer and Gjøvik-Lyn, and a commanding win over Bjørkelangen, their form had been patchy—too many ties, too few decisive victories, and now a defeat to a side mired in relegation territory. With 41 points from 23 matches, Skjetten remain in fifth place, but the gap to the promotion spots has grown wider, their faint title hopes now almost entirely extinguished.

Context deepens the significance of this upset. When these teams last met earlier in the season, Skjetten entered as favorites, a theme echoed by bookmakers and pundits in the days leading up to the rematch. That confidence has now been exposed as misplaced. The win lifts HamKam II to 21 points—enough for 12th in the table but still far from safety. Yet, for a squad that has known more frustration than joy this campaign, tonight’s performance provides both a blueprint and a rallying cry.

There were no red cards handed out, the contest played with tenacity but within bounds, even as emotions spiked and tackles flew in midfield. HamKam II’s ability to maintain discipline while executing their tactical plan was a key differentiator—a lesson that Skjetten, undone by their sluggish opening and failure to adapt, will rue in their post-match analysis.

As the league’s final stretch beckons, the stakes for both sides are clear. HamKam II must parlay this shock victory into a late-season surge if they hope to stave off relegation. Their back-to-back home wins offer a glimmer of hope in that fight. Skjetten, meanwhile, confront the harsh reality that playoff ambitions demand consistency—and the ability to seize control even on unfamiliar, hostile turf.

For one night at least, under the Briskeby Arena lights, the relegation battlers bested the high flyers. What remains is whether HamKam II can turn Friday’s spark into the flame that finally ignites their season, and whether Skjetten can recover in time to keep their own narrative from unraveling.