2nd League - 25th round

GAK-chasers Ried and Leoben celebrate victories!

SV Ried players celebrate(Bild: GEPA)

SV Ried have moved to within eight points of league leaders GAK in the 2nd division, at least for one day! The team from the Innviertel region beat bottom side SKU Amstetten 3-0 at home on Friday to open the 25th round and record their fourth win in a row. Graz are not in action until Saturday in Bregenz. Third-placed DSV Leoben remain three points behind Rieder thanks to a 3-2 win in their Styrian clash at SV Lafnitz. 

Things went according to plan for Rieder in the Innviertel Arena right from the start, they dominated the action at will and ensured a clear situation early on. Ante Bajic (8') finished from close range in the middle after a pass from Philipp Pomer. The 26-year-old midfielder then took center stage even more, scoring on the volley after Fabian Wohlmuth had played him in (22').

Pomer's fourth goal of the season followed in the 33rd minute, as Amstetten goalkeeper Elias Scherf made a mistake with a shot. Again, the preparatory work had come from Wohlmuth. Amstetten, who are six games unbeaten and bottom of the table, can now no longer reach the non-relegation zone and are 16 points adrift of 13th-placed Stripfing with five games to go. The Rieder team kept their small hopes of promotion alive.

Marcel Ziegl's professional career over at the end of the season
There was also personnel news in the home side's camp on Friday, as it was announced that Marcel Ziegl's professional career is over at the end of the season. The 31-year-old played his first Bundesliga match for Rieder on November 29, 2008 at the age of 15. The former Austrian youth team player has played a total of 350 competitive matches for the Innviertel side. He has not played this season due to injury. "I'm convinced that I could get fit again, but I don't think I'll make it 100 percent again," explained Ziegl. The long-serving captain will remain with the club in a different role.

Leoben built up a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break in Lafnitz thanks to two headers from former Bundesliga players Deni Alar (5') and Kevin Friesenbichler (22') and a sensitive shot into the far corner from Josef Weberbauer (34'). Weberbauer had also set up the first two goals. The "joker" Andreas Radics (69') and Edon Murataj (79') then added to the excitement in the closing stages.

SV Horn moved up to sixth place for the time being with a 3:1 win at Kapfenberger SV. Amir Abdijanovic (35'), Benjamin Mulahalilovic (38'/penalty) and Marco Hausjell (84') turned the game in favor of the Waldviertel side, who were numerically superior from the 37th minute onwards. KSV are still only twelfth.