Facing feasible tasks – this is how the Schonnebeck coach assesses the start

After a home win against SV Sonsbeck, SpVg Schonnebeck are sixth in the Oberliga Niederrhein. The A-Juniors, meanwhile, greet from the top of the table.

The home win against SV Sonsbeck “showed that we are on the right track,” said Dirk Tönnies, coach of SpVg Schonnebeck.

His assessment of the start to the season in the Oberliga Niederrhein is “now very good thanks to the victory. Only the game against Nettetal [0:1 defeat, editor’s note] bothers us. Otherwise we can be satisfied all round.”

Against Straelen “you can lose”, against VfB Hilden “we got a point with an energetic performance”. TSV Meerbusch (16th) and DJK Adler Union Frintrop (13th) are two supposedly easier opponents in the Oberliga Niederrhein before the clash against ETB Schwarz-Weiß Essen on 15 October. However, the current focus is elsewhere.

For Tönnies, the second round match in the Lower Rhine Cup at district league team TSV Wachtendonk-Wankum on Thursday at 8 p.m. will involve a long journey and a late kick-off time, “which will be mega exhausting for the boys”.

However, the coach knows that “we have a deep squad and will of course rotate in order to keep the workload the same”. Of course, the goal against the lower-class opponents from Wachtendonk is to advance.

Another bright spot for the Essen district club: The club’s own A-youth team is at the top of the table in the A-juniors Niederrheinliga. Even ahead of the big city rivals Rot-Weiß Essen, against whom, however, the direct duel was lost. The young attackers Arne Wessels (13 goals in 6 games) and Conor David Tönnies (7 goals in 6 games) have attracted particular attention. Both have already gained playing time in the men’s team. Both repaid the faith in the game against VfB Hilden.

After 18 minutes of play, Conor David Tönnies, son of coach Dirk Tönnies, brought the team to within 1:2 in the 86th minute on an assist from his A-junior striker colleague Wessels. In the end, it was even enough for the point. Tönnies enthused about the effect of his substitutes.

With the victory against Sonsbeck, SpVg Schonnebeck feels that they are on the upswing again after three games without a win. With a supposedly feasible programme in front of them, the Swallows can hope for a flight of fancy.