Arsenal loanee Havard Nordtveit played the full 90 minutes last night as Lillestrom beat Start 3-2 in a pulsating Tippeligaen encounter.
Lillestrom had a two-goal lead before the hour mark, with Bjorn Helge Riise adding to Arild Sundgot’s 27th minute penalty.
Start pulled a goal back through Stokkelien, but Magnus Mykleburst restored the hosts advantage. Start did halve the deficit once more, with Hulsker finding the net, but were reduced to ten men in the dying embers following the dismissal of Borgersen for a second-bookable offence.
In a physical contest, Havard had his tooth knocked out following an elbow from Huskler, but recovered to play a full part in the remainder of the game.
Havard impressed at centre-back and, as previously mentioned, there is a good chance that his loan deal will be extended when it expires on August 1st.
In other news, it has emerged that right-back Kerrea Gilbert could be sold this summer.
Gilbert has spent the majority of the last three seasons away from the club, on loan at Cardiff, Southend and, most recently, Leicester, who he helped to guide back up to the Championship although his season was curtailed due to a dislocated shoulder.
Gilbert has nine first team appearances for Arsenal to his name, all of which came in the final season at Highbury, and currently finds himself behind both Bacary Sagna and Gavin Hoyte in Arsene Wenger’s thinking, whilst Emmanuel Eboue can also play at right-back.
A catalogue of attitude problems, one of which resulted in a court case, have seen Gilbert’s stock tumble dramatically in recent years and it is now unlikely that he will continue his development at Arsenal.
