Double packer Hornby out injured
©IMAGO
SV Elversberg has preserved its chances of promotion in the 2nd Bundesliga, but SV Darmstadt 98 will probably have to bury them. Thanks to the 3:3 (2:3), the Lilies now have 51 points three game days before the end of the season and are therefore six points behind the relegation place that Hannover 96 holds. Elversberg (56) is only one point behind Lower Saxony in fourth place.
Patric Pfeiffer (14th minute) and Fraser Hornby (15th) had fulfilled the hopes of the 17,810 spectators in the sold-out Böllenfalltor for a football festival early on, but the guests were unimpressed and hit back mercilessly with Tom Zimmerschied (26th), Maximilian Rohr (34th) and Lukas Petkov (45th + 2nd). The third goal was preceded by a red card for Pfeiffer for an emergency stop – a tough but justifiable decision. Hornby (51st) saved another point for Darmstadt.
After three recent defeats, Darmstadt had to score a three-pointer in order to maintain their chance of promotion. However, the early double strike did not provide the necessary security. On the contrary: the Lilies now acted too passively and left the ball to the less-shocked Saarlanders. So the goals came almost inevitably for the SVE, who simply continued to play cheerfully and with concentration.
First, Zimmerschied made up for his catastrophic mistake before Darmstadt made it 2-0, and Rohr followed up with a nice long-range shot. The game was now open again. The guests were still in control afterwards, Darmstadt seemed slightly shocked and conceded the third goal from a deflected free kick.
Darmstadt 98 rewarded themselves with an equalizer against SV Elversberg
After the break, Darmstadt showed morale when they were outnumbered and pushed for an equalizer. Hornby succeeded, but later had to be substituted with a thigh injury. In the end, Elversberg lacked the clarity, momentum and conviction from the first round. Matej Maglica cleared SVE’s possible lucky punch on the line in stoppage time.
