Austria Lustenau fixed the promotion to the Bundesliga on Friday evening. The FAC has to settle for second place.
The leaders in the second division celebrated a 2-1 win at SV Horn on the penultimate match day and benefited from the simultaneous 0-1 defeat by second-placed FAC in Lafnitz. The Vorarlbergers now have an unassailable five point lead over the Floridsdorfers in the table before the last round. Lustenau is thus returning to the upper house after 22 years.
The team from the Ländle scored the important three points and thus the second division championship title with two own goals by Horner. There are only question marks about the rise because of the financially ailing club Wacker Innsbruck. Should the Tyroleans not play on the 30th matchday due to an acute lack of money, all Innsbruck results would be cancelled. Lustenau got two more points from the two games against Wacker than the Viennese – this would reduce the cushion to three points.
This would result in a mini-chance for the FAC. However, Lustenauer Austria would have to lose against the Young Violets in the final round on May 22nd, while the FAC would have to beat the Juniors OÖ.
Lustenau found it difficult to get going in Horn and then got lucky in the 25th minute when Horner Julian Klar maneuvered an Anderson pass into his own goal. With the Vorarlbergers leading 1-0, it also went into the break. The Lower Austrians quickly equalized in the second half, Burak Yilmaz sinking a free kick from a good 20 meters away into the visitors’ goal (51′).
But luck stayed with Lustenau on Friday, the 13th: Bryan Silva Teixeira, who had just come on as a substitute, dribbled his way into Horner’s penalty area and his pass landed in the goal via the knee of SVH player Paul Gobara (65′). As a result, Lustenau’s attacking stars Haris Tabakovic and Michael Cheukoua missed good opportunities to make a preliminary decision. Since Muhammed Cham (89′), Nicolai Bosch (93′) and again Tabakovic (94′) missed a seat, the score remained 2-1, but this was enough for the Vorarlberg team to celebrate extensively with the fans who had traveled with them.
“I think we showed attractive attacking football throughout the season. We kept our nerves, although sometimes things didn’t go so well. The lads deserved it 100 percent,” beamed Lustenau coach Markus Mader after the game in the ORF interview. “When I look at the faces of the players and Haris Tabakovic cries with joy, then we’ve done a lot right this year.” The journey home to Vorarlberg is now to be converted into a championship party. “We now have a long drive home, which we’ll complete in a boozy mood,” said Mader.
Meanwhile, the FAC started with a lot of momentum in the Lafnitz football arena and stumbled. While Martin Rasner, Joao Oliveira and Leomend Krasniqi missed very good opportunities to lead the guests, Christian Lichtenberger scored the 1-0 for the Styrians after a big chance for the guests. Up front, the Viennese team with the newly extended coaching duo Mitja Mörec/Aleksandar Gitsov remained unlucky, Christian Bubalovic missed the last chance of the guests in injury time, his lob only landed on the crossbar (91.).
The Floridsdorfer remain without a win against their feared opponent Lafnitz, the dreams of promotion have burst. Coach Mörec was still proud of his team. “We had a great season, we’re second, that’s an incredible achievement. But it’s certainly bitter when you’re so close and don’t win in the end. Cheer up, let’s keep going.”
In the other games, Blau Weiß Linz celebrated clear 3-0 home wins against Liefering and Amstetten against GAK. The Linzers claimed third place (53 points) ahead of Lafnitz (52) and Amstetten (51). The derby between the Young Violets and Rapid II ended 3:3 despite a 2:0 lead for the Green and Whites. St. Pölten defeated Wacker Innsbruck 3-1, while the Juniors OÖ and Kapfenberg drew 1-1. Bottom of the table Dornbirn lost 2:3 at home to Vorwarts Steyr, but there is nothing to worry about since the two relegated teams, Juniors OÖ (no license applied for) and Wacker Innsbruck (no license received), have already been determined.
