The ball was rolling in the Landesliga Group 3 on Saturday. Four teams from the top were in action. A crazy match developed in Niederwenigern.

Two games were already played on Saturday afternoon in the Landesliga Group 3. Adler Union Frintrop, promoted from the top division, played Sportfreunde Niederwenigern, relegated from the top division, and title contender Blau-Weiß Mintard hosted the ambitious SC Velbert in Mülheim. All four clubs were in the top five of the Landesliga before the match day – and that will not change, at least until Sunday.

Sportfreunde Niederwenigern – Adler Union Frintrop 3:2 (0:1)

Adler Union Frintrop, the best offensive team in the league with top scorer Yannick Reiners, visited Hattingen. Marcel Cornelissen had expressed his great respect for the opponents before the game: “They are strong in pressing and patient in the build-up. A large part of the squad has played consistently in the Oberliga for the last few years.”

Goal-scorer Reiners gave the men from the water tower the lead in the 16th minute with his tenth goal of the season. After the break, left-back Tim Bönisch (56th) increased the lead to 2:0, but a quarter of an hour later Daiki Matsubara scored the equaliser for Niederwenigern. In the 89th minute, the home side equalised – Marc Fabian Rapka was the scorer. And then it became very bitter for the visitors: injury time was running and an own goal by Nicolas Strömann put Adler Union on the losing track.

Niederwenigern won 3:2 and are – at least until Sunday – the new leaders of the Landesliga.

Blau-Weiß Mintard – SC Velbert 0:0

The previous week, Blau-Weiß Mintard celebrated a last-minute victory over DV Solingen (2-1). Now head coach Christian Knappmann’s team wanted to follow up against SC Velbert. But Knappmann’s charges were warned: after the opening defeat in Frintrop, Velbert had taken ten points from the following four games.

An intense match developed in which both teams had good chances to score. Especially Mintard had the pressure in the final phase and was unlucky when Ben Kastor hit the post (83rd). But the visitors also hit the crossbar late in the game in the person of Mete Kalinci (93rd). In the end, Velbert fought for a 0-0 draw.