Start beat Brann 2-0 away, key points in battle to avoid relegation

Start beat Brann 2-0 away in a match where the bottom-side showed strong morale and clinical efficiency. Ousmane Diallo opened the scoring shortly before halftime with an individual run down the left flank, cutting inside and seeing the ball deflect off a Brann player before looping over goalkeeper Mathias Dyngeland. Jesper Cornelius made it 2-0 in stoppage time after a swift counterattack, securing all three points for the home side. After the match, Brann player Joachim Soltvedt told TV 2: "Det er så dårlig. Det er nesten ikke til å tro". He later added: "Det er bare å skjerpe seg noe jævlig". Start have now won two of their last three games and remain bottom of the table with 16 points, two behind Aalesund. Brann, meanwhile, have suffered their second consecutive loss and sit seventh in Eliteserien with 26 points from 19 games. The team has scored 37 goals and conceded 29 this season, for a goal difference of +8. They are 21 points behind league leaders Bodø/Glimt. Recent form shows one win, two draws and two losses in the last five games, including defeats to Lillestrøm and Start. Brann's next fixture is at home against Bodø/Glimt on September 20, a key test of whether they can climb back up the table. Start face Sandefjord next in a vital six-pointer at the bottom of the standings.