On the 33rd matchday in the Landesliga 3 Westfalen, SV Wanne 11 lost to SV Horst-Emscher, who were threatened with relegation, with a score of 1:2. The disappointment of Wanne coach Franko Pepe was great.

SV Wanne 11 surprisingly lost on the 33rd matchday in the Landesliga 3 Westfalen against SV Horst-Emscher, who are in the middle of the relegation battle, with 1:2.

As a result, SVW has the worst cards in the three-way fight for promotion to the Westfalenliga one matchday before the end of the season, as it is one point behind its two rivals SpVgg Horsthausen and Hombrucher SV in third place.

Horsthausen and Hombruch drew 1-1 in a direct duel, so the door was wide open for the Wanners to secure a possibly decisive advantage in the fight for promotion. However, coach Franko Pepe’s team lost unexpectedly to SV Horst-Emscher, who were threatened with relegation, 1:2.

“That was very sobering. We put ourselves in a bad position with this defeat and are now very disappointed. It was just a bad game from us, we simply didn’t create enough chances and had no grip. We also lacked a bit of luck up front, the opposing goalkeeper had a very good day. Now it’s out of our hands,” said Pepe, annoyed about the game against Horst-Emscher.

Although two teams will presumably be promoted directly following the denial of 1. FC Düren’s regional league licence – normally the four Landesliga runners-up have to go through a promotion round in which three promoted teams are determined – the starting situation for Wanne after this defeat is conceivably unfavourable, as they are now dependent on mistakes made by the competition.

After nine wins in a row and first place in the table, the defeat on the last matchday was already the second in a row. The SVW coach offers a possible explanation for this development: “The head always plays a role in these moments. That’s why we felt the pressure, which Horsthausen and Hombruch have just as much. In addition, there are some problems with injured and stricken players.”

On the next matchday, the promotion race will be decided, with Wanne 11 having to play SV Hohenlimburg, who are fifth in the table, away from home. Pepe describes the upcoming opponents as a “tough nut to crack”, but he is still fighting: “We have no choice but to win the game. We are a great team, the chemistry is right. In addition, we have the victory in the district cup final behind us.