We follow the game plan and grind them down, but we have trouble getting through them and then it becomes what it becomes, says Mjällby's coach Anders Torstensson in the HBO Max broadcast.
A chance-poor first half meant 0-0 at halftime. And it stood until the 80th minute.
Then Halmstad's Rami Kaib entered the duel with Mjällby's Ludvig Tidstrand a bit too roughly for the taste of chief referee Joakim Östling, and the home team was awarded a penalty.
Elliot Stroud took care of the penalty and made it 1-0 to Mjällby. Halmstad went for an equalizer, but a goal was lacking and Mjällby has now gone 15 straight matches without a loss.
We are disappointed that we leave here with zero points, but on the other hand, there is a lot to take with us. I am very proud of the players that we press them into the corner, but also very disappointed, says Halmstad's coach Johan Lindholm after the match.
Malte Persson dislocated his shoulder at the end of the match, but it was pushed back into place and Persson was able to finish the match when Halmstad had made their five substitutions.
He came back and showed a damn good attitude all the time, says Lindholm.
Mjällby still tops the Allsvenskan table with 53 points. Hammarby, with one match less played, has 42 points. Halmstad is in 13th place.
