SVWW narrow defeat to Champions in season finale
Pros |
SV Wehen Wiesbaden took a point from the first competitive match of the new year with a 1:1 draw against Hallescher FC. The goal that put HFC in the lead in the first half (44’) was cancelled out by Maurice Malone in the dying moments of the game (89’).
SVWW manager Rüdiger Rehm made two changes to the XI that started in the cup fixture against Regensburg. Lucas Brumme celebrated his debut in the 3rd Liga and Paterson Chato came back into midfield having recovered from an injury. Marc Lais started on the bench, Gianluca Korte was missing with a knee problem.
The Red and Blacks got off to a good start, with strong work in the duels. During their own phases of possession, they alternated between confident and patient short passes and long shots towards striker, Phillip Tietz. It took a good ten minutes for the first half opportunity to materialise. After a pass from Dominik Prokop, winter newcomer, Brumme, was pulled up short by the foot of a HFC defender.
The defenders around captain Sascha Mockenhaupt stood firm in the initial minutes of the match. Again and again, the Hallescher attacks came to a sudden end thanks to the decisive tackling of the hosts. Which is why Julian Guttau attempted a distance shot after about 14 minutes – and just missed the goal.
The Halle XI were now settling better into the match from minute to minute, increasing their possession. Julian Derstroff volleyed a rebound in the box but Tim Boss in the Red and Black goal got to the ball (18’). The two teams were now on an equal standing and sought the gaps in each other’s defence. The SVWW set pieces – which had been their strong point in the previous year – were once again radiating danger. From a corner, Marvin Ajani found Paterson Chato at the long post, but Halle was saved from going behind by the crossbar (20’).
In what was a lively game, SVWW put up a good show and continued to combine well in the field. It was just that final pass that often lacked precision, resulting in the absence of real goal opportunities on both sides. When HFC pushed forward, the SVWW defence with defenders and keeper Boss could be relied upon to pick off the long balls.
On the Red and Black side, however, it was quiet apart from a 20-metre shot by Jakov Medic which was easily dealt with by Sven Müller. Halle kept their composure to convert their final chance before the half-time whistle. After 44 minutes, Guttau began a solo run, gave an assist from the baseline over to Derstroff who converted at the far post to make it 0:1. The teams then went into the break.
The Red and Blacks started into the second half without any change but with fire in their belly. Shortly after the re-start, Maurice Malone passed to Ajani who shot the ball from the corner of the box, just putting it past the far post of the HFC keeper (49’). The Red and Blacks kept up the pressure and tried to score the equaliser as quickly as possible. The SVWW forwards disrupted HFC early on in their build-up, while developing more traction towards Halle keeper, Müller, when in possession. After a good cross by Kempe, Brumme was a bit unlucky in midfield trying to get to the ball, after which an Ajani volley once again ended with Müller (53’/57’).
Halle were now having problems getting out of their own half and feeding striker Terrence Boyd, so that it was now really only an SVWW game with the hosts continuously rolling forward towards the Halle defence. Their fighting spirit would have earned them an equaliser. As was the case in the first halt, the Red and Blacks lacked precision in that final pass, which therefore prevented them from scoring the equaliser.
In the middle of the second half even the SVWW attacking game levelled off. The Halle defence was getting back into things and in addition making the SVWW game more difficult. There were also more counter attacking opportunities for the guests against the Wiesbaden players who had moved up the field. Having won the ball in the SVWW half, Boyd didn’t hesitate but put the ball against the cross bar of the Boss goal – this time it was the hosts who got lucky (77’).
Halle smelled danger. While SVWW manager Rehm threw everything forward and also sent Ahmet Gürleyen forward as a second striker, HFC relied on counter attacking. Derstroff had the second goal in his grasp but Boss saved with a strong reflex reaction (82’). At the other end of the pitch, a Gürleyen drop kick from 16 metres sailed past the goal (85’).
The hosts, however, didn’t give up and were finally rewarded. The substituted Benedict Hollerbach powered up the right wing, crossed into the centre where Malone headed the ball over the line – 1:1 (89’).
SVWW almost turned the game around completely. Hollerbach, who was now on a roller, sought out Gürleyen with another cross, but his pass to Malone missed the goal by a few centimetres (90’+5). Concluding a turbulent phase.
SVWW: Boss – Ajani, Mockenhaupt, Gürleyen, Kempe (87’ Niemeyer) – Medic, Chato (81’ Carstens) – Malone, Prokop, Brumme (68’ Hollerbach) – Tietz