Thanks to a billiard goal

Hartberg wins Styrian derby against GAK 1-0!

For a long time, things were pretty quiet in Hartberg, but in the end, the home team prevailed against GAK ...(Bild: GEPA)

TSV Hartberg took a big step towards the championship group in the club's 250th game in the Bundesliga! Manfred Schmid's team defeated second-to-last GAK 1-0 in Saturday's Styrian derby thanks to a goal from Fabian Wilfinger (59th minute) and, with two rounds to go before the league split, currently sits in fifth place, three points ahead of seventh-placed Altach. They are only two points behind league leaders Salzburg, who do not play until Sunday.

Schmid turned 55 on Friday and was delighted to receive a belated birthday present. Hartberg remain unbeaten after their sixth direct top-flight clash with Graz, picking up three important points this time around compared to the 0-0 draw in the fall. It was their first win of the spring after two draws, which GAK had also achieved previously, leaving them three points ahead of bottom-placed Blau-Weiß Linz. Fans and club officials spent hours on Friday shoveling snow off the pitch at the Profertil Arena to make the game possible.

Harakate back at GAK
There was only one change for Hartberg compared to their 0-0 home draw against Altach, with Habib Anis Coulibaly replacing Maximilian Hennig, while striker Elias Havel gritted his teeth despite suffering from a skin infection on his leg. The Graz starting eleven featured three changes from the 1-1 draw against Salzburg. Martin Kreuzriegler was out with injury and Tobias Koch was suspended after receiving a yellow card, so Ludwig Vraa and Mark Grosse moved into the team. Up front, top striker Ramiz Harakate returned from suspension, with Alexander Hofleitner taking a seat on the bench.

It was Harakate who provided the first highlight in front of 3,470 spectators, but his slightly deflected volley went over the bar (12'). At the other end, the first interesting moment came in the 23rd minute. At the end of a series of chances, Donovan Pines cleared a shot from Benjamin Markus with his hand while lying on the ground, but after several minutes of checking, no penalty was given because a foul by Markus on Jacob Italiano at the start of the action had not been penalized. Italiano himself then almost scored an own goal with a header (36').

Wilfinger pokes the ball over the line
After the restart, there was still little flow to the game on either side, with Hartberg having the better chances, but headers from Havel (47th minute) and Dominic Vincze (55th minute) missed the target. It was mainly set pieces that created danger, and this is how the decisive goal came about. Havel headed a Kainz corner to Wilfinger, who controlled the ball with his foot, shoulder, and head before poking it over the line with his fourth touch. Hofleitner's equalizer with a header from Klassen's free kick was correctly ruled offside (82').

Markus Greinecker was the referee, standing in for Walter Altmann. Due to the unpredictable weather, Altmann had not made it back to Styria in time from his Thursday assignment in Poland as the fourth official in Jagiellonia's Conference League match against Fiorentina (0-3).

The result:
TSV Hartberg – GAK 1-0 (0-0)
Hartberg, Profertil Arena, 3,470 spectators, referee Greinecker

Goal: 1:0 (59.) Wilfinger

Yellow cards: Spendlhofer, Diarra and Paumgartner

Hartberg: Hülsmann – Heil, Wilfinger, Spendlhofer, Coulibaly (46. Hennig), Vincze – Diarra (87. Schopp), Markus, Kainz (81. Halwachs) – Hoffmann (46. Drew), Havel (91. Fridrikas)
GAK: Stolz – Owusu, Pines, Vraa (77. Lichtenberger) – Italiano (94. Graf), Grosse (66. Hofleitner), Olesen, Satin (66. Paumgartner), Klassen – Harakate, Maderner