What a game! SSV Jahn Regensburg delivered a gripping fight with 1. FC Heidenheim, especially the final phase can hardly be surpassed in terms of drama. The guests are not rewarded.
Heidenheim (dpa/lby) - After this football spectacle, nobody at SSV Jahn Regensburg could really believe that the thrilling performance had not been rewarded with at least one point. "Football is like life, it can be really, really hard at times," said coach Mersad Selimbegovic after the 4: 5 (2: 3) in the second division top team 1. FC Heidenheim.
After a 3-1 lead, Heidenheim initially had to accept the equalization of Regensburg, who never gave up. After Heidenheim's 4:3, Aygün Yildirim (2 minutes 90) equalized to make it 4:4 for the Oberpfalz team, before Stefan Schimmer (4 minutes 90) rose to become the match winner for the hosts in a crazy final phase.
"We can still be proud of what we have delivered and I am sure that it will turn around again at some point. We have shown what we are capable of," said Selimbegovic. "The break is good because of the injuries, but on the other hand I would like to play again in three days."
In a duel with many chances for both sides, the hosts were the slightly more effective team and had the happy ending on their side. Regensburg failed to improve their negative record against Heidenheim.
"We would have liked to have gotten 20 points in the preliminary round, we wanted to get at least half of the 40 points," said defender Jan Elvedi. "That's why we're disappointed, but all in all we're on course. We can break the 40 points, we have to keep going and still work on the details."
The last second division game of the year turned out to be the expected tour de force, in which Prince Osei Owusu (14'), Charalambos Makridis (45', 1) and Nicklas Shipnoski (55') scored before Jahn's mad end. The guests kept coming back in the thrilling match.
"A lot of teams break away, just before the winter break, and say it's just not supposed to be today. But we kept getting up and believing in it. Ultimately, we deserved to get a point," said goalkeeper Thorsten Kirschbaum.
