SG Wattenscheid 09 got off to a successful start in the second half of the season with a 2-1 victory over Victoria Clarholz. Head coach Christopher Pache would have liked to have sealed the win earlier.
SG Wattenscheid 09 is picking up where it left off in the first half of the season: In the season opener, the Oberliga leaders defeated TSV Victoria Clarholz 2-1 (2-0) in a hard-fought match. Because the natural grass field at Lohrheidestadion was unplayable due to weather conditions, the match had to be played on the artificial turf field on Berliner Straße.
However, the first eye-catcher of the afternoon there was not the players, but the spectators: About a dozen 09 supporters, who had previously been ejected from the grounds, vented their anger and set off pyrotechnics behind the fence, that is, on the street. After police patrols arrived with their sirens blaring, the situation was quickly resolved.
Then the focus shifted to the game: After an even opening phase, SGW gradually increased the pressure after fifteen minutes and took a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute with a header by striker Kevin Schacht. Ilias Anan extended the lead just before halftime with a stunning strike from about 22 meters into the top corner – 2-0 (38th minute).
“We played the width well in the first half. We sometimes took a bit too long, but we kept finding solutions,” analyzed head coach Christopher Pache. But the coach wanted more: “I think we missed a lot of chances there. Otherwise, we were solid, had a lot of the play, a lot of possession, and a lot of passing sequences.”
After the break, referee Niklas Simpson took center stage: First, Berkan Firat’s supposed 3-0 goal was called off due to a foul in the build-up, and then the whistle remained silent during two tricky plays against Wortmann. In stoppage time, the visitors from East Westphalia pulled one back through Nick Flock (90’ + 2).
Much to the annoyance of SGW coach Pache: “That goal really eats at me. Given our dominance and clear chances, we should have sealed the deal earlier. A 2-0 lead is always a thin margin; with a long ball, something can happen quickly. We were lucky it didn’t come until so late. Still, overall, everything was fine for the debut.”
On the visitors’ side, despite the loss to the league leaders, they weren’t dissatisfied with the overall performance either: “Given the scoring chances, the result is fair. Our preparation suffered due to difficult training conditions. So I was satisfied with how we executed. Unfortunately, we couldn’t create any more pressure at the end,” said coach Christian Lichte.
The first points of the new year will therefore have to wait. Clarholz’s next opportunity comes this coming Saturday at Spielvereinigung Vreden (February 7, 2:00 p.m.). The night before, Wattenscheid hosts SC Preußen Münster II (February 6, 6:30 p.m.).
