AALBORG, DENMARK - In front of a season record home crowd of 3,647 at Energi Nord Arena, Aalborg BK clinched the Danish championship title with a 2-0 win over Brøndby IF on Thursday evening.

Captain Danny Califf played the full 90 minutes in AaB's central defense and gave little away.

From the outset, it was the hosts who looked like they wanted it more. They were more aggressive chasing the ball, their passes more direct and generally more precise, yet the early pressure led only to some near chances and a couple of corner kicks.

The first finish came after 16 minutes when Thomas Enevoldsen played a flat free kick from near the baseline to Michael Jakobsen on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot went narrowly high and wide.

Eight minutes later, Martin Spelmann snapped up a poor pass at the other end, but Karim Zaza saved and held his low long distance drive.

With eight minutes left of the half, it was bad luck for the title chasers that kept the scoreline even. Jeppe Curth sent Lasse Nilsson clean through, but from an acute angle, the Swede sent his shot wide.

Despite the lack of open chances, the home side were getting ever closer. However, it was an own goal that would give them the lead when a corner kick from Jakobsen hit Max von Schleebrügge in the back and tumbled in on 43 minutes.

The home fans were barely done celebrating when another corner - this time from Enevoldsen on the left - found Kasper Risgård in front of goal and he put Aalborg up by two.

Five minutes into the second, Brøndby nearly pulled one back when a square ball from Spelmann found Samuel Holmén in front of goal, but his flat finish grazed the post on the way out.

Nine minutes later, it was Nilsson's turn to try again with a run at the Brøndby defense. He made a move behind a defender, but sent his shot high and wide.

Holmén fired a shot straight at Zaza before two crosses from Johansson found Nilsson and Enevoldsen with little effect - all within the same minute.

Brøndby still tried to get back in it but a header from Holmén in the 66th went straight at Zaza. Katongo sent a shot wide after a cross from Holmén three minutes later.

In the 71st minute, the visitors came close once again when David Williams beat Califf on the outside, but his shot struck the foot of the far post.

AaB could have put it beyond doubt in the 78th when Jakobsen sent Patrick Kristensen down the left flank. The youngster set up Johansson from the baseline, but Stephan Andersen saved the shot.

The missed chance, however, would have little ill effect. The AaB defense held their ground, and after four minutes of injury time, the stadium erupted in championship euphoria.

"It's fantastic," an ecstatic Califf told American Soccer Daily after the game. "We finally did it. All that training and all that work, it finally paid off and it's unbelievable."

"No one was going to stop us today, nothing. And we did it," said Califf before giving a brief description of the evening's celebration. "I'm drinking my face off."

Although the third title of the club's 123-year history is secure, there is still a little work left to be done. The team travel to Lyngby on Sunday before finishing the season against Odense BK next Saturday.

ASD's Three Stars
#1 Kasper Risgård
#2 Michael Jakobsen
#3 Thomas Enevoldsen

Scoring
AAB - Own Goal (Max von Schleebrügge) 42'
AAB - Kasper Risgaard 5 (Thomas Enevoldsen) 45'

Line-ups
AAB - Karim Zaza; Michael Jakobsen, Danny Califf, Steve Olfers, Andreas Johansson, Thomas Augustinussen, Lasse Nilsson (Patrick Kristensen 63'), Jeppe Curth (Simon Bræmer 82'), Allan Olesen, Kasper Risgård, Thomas Enevoldsen

BIF - Stephan Andersen; Mark Howard, Samuel Holmén (Peter Madsen 81'), Kasper Lorentzen (David Williams 46'), Kim Daugaard, Martin Retov, Max von Schleebrügge, Stefan Gislason (Pierre Kanstrup 90'), Martin Spelmann, Chris Katongo, Daniel Wass