SVWW narrow defeat to Champions in season finale
Pros |
SV Wehen Wiesbaden notched up their first home win of the season on the 10th match day in the 3rd Liga. Behind closed doors at the BRITA Arena, Gianluca Korte (7’) and Paterson Chato (14’) scored for the Red and Blacks as did Phillip Tietz (83’) with a penalty.
After the 1:4 defeat in Ingolstadt, manager Rüdiger Rehm sent out the team with two changes. Dennis Kempe came back into the starting XI for Michel Niemeyer and Benedict Hollerbach started instead of Marc Lais. Jakov Medic moved into the position left vacant in central defence by Lais, and Sascha Mockenhaupt started as centre back. Hollerbach came up the right wing while Moritz Kuhn provided support as wing back.
Right from the start, the Red and Blacks were clearly intent on a calm build-up of the game and safety in defence. As a result, they had by far greater possession with a lot of short passes. However, a long ball kicked out from their own defence came straight back, giving the guests their first huge opportunity of the game: After a precise cross, Dustin Willms found himself unmarked in front of Tim Boss for a header but the SVWW keeper’s superb reflex reaction kept a clean sheet (6’). And even better than that: The hosts made use of a direct counter-attack to go into the lead. Hollerbach and Kuhn cut through the entire Zwickau defence with a double pass, then as sharp shot by Kuhn sailed past Phillip Tietz in midfield, but Gianluca Korte, running alongside, had no problem tipping the ball over the line to make it 1:0 (7’).
The momentum from going into the lead so early left SVWW looking more confident and it seemed that they would bring the match under better control as time went on. After a wonderful pass out to the wing, Maurice Malone shot the ball sharply into midfield, where Tietz cleverly let it pass by. It was taken by Paterson Chato who shot it low into the net for the 2:0 (14’).
The best omen for bringing a bit more caution into their own game, and FSV were prompt in reply. Only two minutes after the second goal, Willms had space in midfield and used it to net the goal that brought them within one goal of the hosts (16’). The team from Saxony still didn’t give up and kept the SVWW defence busy with their agile forwards line and dangerous high crosses into their own area of attack. The Red and Blacks continued to have more possession.
After the accuracy of the goal-scoring opportunities in the first phase of the match, neither team had many chances, and play was now mainly around midfield. Felix Drinkuth took the next shot at goal after 37 minutes, but it wasn’t a problem for Boss. At the other end of the pitch, a right shot from Malone required much more effort from FSV keeper Johannes Brinkies, which he nonetheless managed to block with his fingertips (41’). Tietz came nearest to scoring shortly before the half-time whistle: Without stopping for a minute, the SVWW striker shot from 14 metres, having stopped the ball with his chest. The ball slammed against the cross bar and from there came back into the field of play - bad luck for the Red and Blacks (45’).
The second half began the same way that the first half ended. SVWW had more possession and seemed to be more dangerous but when Zwickau were able to switch direction, they managed to move forward into dangerous spaces again and again. From a cross, Marco Schikora tried his luck with a volley, but his attempt was blocked (56’).
Now SVWW had a few good chances again. The ball was passed to Hollerbach in midfield, Brinkies cleared the sharp shot and managed to save the subsequent shot by Malone (60’).
As Zwickau were dangerous during the first half mainly when switching direction, manager Joe Enochs XI let the ball move well from one to the other. But, the SVWW defence was secure and let nothing through, so that the Red and Blacks themselves were able to counter attack. Michael Guthörl who had come on for Hollerbach, pushed up along the right wing, passed to Tietz in midfield who was prevented from shooting just at the last minute (67’).
The final phase turned into a real thriller, with both teams playing with purpose towards the next goal. Medic hit the Zwickau cross bar with another shot from a distance and Boss had no problem at all with Willms header (78’). Due to a series of corners, SVWW now became firmly established in the Zwickau box, at the end of which referee Robin Braun pointed to the penalty spot after a challenge by Davy Frick on Chato. Phillip Tietz grabbed the ball and converted to give SVWW a two-goal lead again (83’).
Naturally, Zwickau now threw everyone forward, but the hosts managed repeatedly to keep the ball to themselves for long periods. SVWW captain, Sascha Mockenhaupt, and centre defender Florian Carstens confidently cleared the long shots sent by the guests again and again towards the Boss goal, so there was no change for the rest of the match, and the hosts had their well-deserved home win.
SVWW: Boss – Kuhn, Carstens, Mockenhaupt, Kempe – Chato, Medic – Hollerbach (63’ Guthörl), Malone, Korte (84’ Schwede) – Tietz (90’ Lais).