It’s done: SpVgg Unterhaching returns to the 3rd division after two years. The Champions of the Regionalliga Bayern won the second leg of the promotion, which was overshadowed by fan riots, against FC Energie Cottbus 2-0 (1-0).
After two years in the Bavarian regional league, SpVgg Unterhaching will be looking for third division points again next season. After the 2-1 victory in Cottbus, the team of outgoing coach Sandro Wagner also won the second leg in the local sports park.
Mathias Fetsch, one of the goalscorers in the first leg, scored the lead in the 17th minute, Simon Skarlatidis made it 2-0 for the final decision (90+3). Cottbus, champions of the Northeast Regional League, missed the leap into the 3rd division. With the rise of Hachinger, it is also clear that SpVgg Ansbach will remain in the regional league.
Fetsch dusts off to preliminary decision
The initial situation was clear after SpVgg’s 2-1 victory in the first leg: Cottbus had to come and risk more, and so the Lausitzer went into the game in front of 12,500 spectators. The guests tried to take the initiative, while Haching relied on long balls and counterattacks. And so Cottbus had the first big chance of the game with a dangerous header from Jan Shcherbakovski, but Haching’s keeper René Vollath thwarted it (14′).
Three minutes later Unterhaching had their first chance – and the ball was in the goal straight away. Visiting goalkeeper Elias Bethke initially blocked a shot from Patrick Hobsch, but Fetsch reacted the quickest and scored to make it 1-0.
Vollath saves against Thiele
Cottbus now needed two goals to at least get into extra time. Above all, the guests acted more poisonous. Minor fouls and fouls disrupted the flow of the game, Timmy Thiele only had the next chance for FCE in the 34th minute, but the strong Vollath was there again.
Shortly before the break, Haching’s Manuel Stiefler had two chances to make it 2-0. First the crossbar was in the way (45′), then he couldn’t control the ball alone in front of Bethke.
The police in front of the guest block had to secure the interior
Cup throwers almost cause the game to be abandoned
After the change, Cottbus tried again. Against the well-stacked Haching defence, however, the team coached by Claus-Dieter Wollitz barely managed to get through to the goal. The frustration on the pitch eventually spread to the spectators in the guest block. After objects were thrown onto the field and police forces had to secure the interior, referee Tobias Reichel even saw it as necessary to interrupt the game for a total of 14 minutes.
The interruption did not help Cottbus. Instead, Skarlatidis scored to make it 2-0, the deciding factor in the game. In the coming season, Unterhaching will be the fourth Bavarian team in the 3rd division alongside SSV Jahn Regensburg, TSV 1860 Munich and FC Ingolstadt.
The game in full length and the winner interviews in the video
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Source: Blickpunkt Sport 11.06.2023 – 1 p.m
