In the 2:1 win against Rot-Weiss Essen, Gerrit Wegkamp was the decisive man for Preußen Münster. It was the same three years ago when the striker inflicted a painful defeat on RWE.
The 2-1 victory on matchday 23 of the 2023/24 season was Preußen Münster’s first home win against Rot-Weiss Essen since matchday 30 of the 2020/21 season.
On that occasion, Gerrit Wegkamp’s goal to make it 1-0 decided the game and inflicted a defeat on Essen that had a lasting effect. The three points they had dropped at the Preußenstadion would have been enough at the end of the season to be promoted as champions level on points with Borussia Dortmund’s U23s. However, Rot-Weiss remained three points behind BVB II and had to sit out another season in the Regionalliga West.
Three years later, RWE were once again aiming for promotion, this time to the Bundesliga 2 – and once again it was Gerrit Wegkamp who scored a late goal in Münster to hand Essen a painful 2-1 defeat.
After the recent home win against RWE at Magenta Sport, the tall striker also remembered the game three years ago, but not his winning goal. “I didn’t remember that,” Wegkamp admitted, “but I was sitting on the bench next to Dennis Grote today and we talked about that game because there was a tactical measure back then that I had to chase after him for the whole game.”
Wegkamp thought to himself: “Come on, just go for it”
This time, Wegkamp didn’t have to run after him for 90 minutes; he only had just under half an hour to make the difference – with a powerful finish from the right. “I’m often told that I’m not that stubborn, but that I’m the one who somehow tries another cross if I can,” explained the 30-year-old. “But at that moment I said to myself: Come on, just go for it.”
The right decision, RWE keeper Jakob Golz had to admit defeat in the short corner. It was Wegkamp’s first league goal since September 23 in the 1:1 draw against Lübeck. However, the fact that he ended a personal goal-less streak of eleven games with his goal was of secondary importance to the attacker.
“It wasn’t the first dry spell and perhaps it won’t be the last. I’ve shown often enough over the last few years that I can put the ball in the net,” emphasized the man who scored a total of 53 goals in 119 appearances for SCP. “That’s why I’m happy that I was able to help the team with the goal and give the fans a derby win. That’s what counts.”
“All together for Preußen Münster” chant: “We live the phrase”
The fans expressed their thanks after the match, celebrated the team and swore them in once again with an “All together for Preußen Münster” chant. “The chant doesn’t just come with victories, it also comes with bitter defeats. It’s not something that’s just said, we live it together with the fans and that’s wonderful,” said Wegkamp, delighted with the team spirit at SCP.
With the win, the club moved up to tenth place, three places and four points behind RWE. Next Sunday (4.30 p.m.), Wegkamp and his colleagues face Waldhof Mannheim away from home