The USV St. Pantaleon has had a disastrous season. With countless injuries, a goal difference of 17:75 and only ten points from 26 games, the Oberinnviertler were relegated to the 2nd class Southwest in June of this year. The first third of the table was targeted. But weeks before the end of the championship it was clear that nothing could be saved. “We had fifteen injuries over the course of the season and we sometimes played with eight 1b players so that we could still bring people together. Our strong U16 team also helped, but in the end we were relegated confidently,” says Gerhard Hirscher, Section leader of the USV St. Pantaleon, back to the disastrous championship 2021/22.
The look ahead
Against all odds, he and his fellow officials made the best of the predicament, observed the 2nd Class Southwest clubs in the spring and started planning the squad for the new season. The core of the team stayed together, but since the necessary routine was lacking and a few players left, the USV became active on the transfer market. Those responsible may have had a lucky hand. Among other things, newcomer Mario Bergmüller has proven his quality with six goals.
Nevertheless, processing the descent in the summer, banishing it from your head and ticking it off was difficult – but doable. How well the team coached by Damir Borozni did was impressively demonstrated in the first rounds of the young championship. With an impeccable record of four wins from four games, St. Pantaleon is currently in a neck-and-neck race with FC Pischelsdorf. For Hirscher a duel that will continue and come to a head in the coming rounds.
Only at the end of October will there be a direct duel in Pischelsdorf. Until then, the Oberinnviertler want to collect as many points as possible, “because it’s always difficult to play on this extremely small pitch. In addition, the Pischelsdorfers have a great squad,” says the section head, who also thinks Uttendorf will be a strong opponent. However, he weakened himself at the weekend with two exclusions (Christoph Murauer and Michael Wenigwieser saw red in the last minutes of the game). “One way or the other: A home win against Uttendorf would be groundbreaking for us. However, we have already noticed in the last few weeks that it is no walk in the park either. Quite the opposite,” says Gerhard Hirscher.
To date, SV Schildorn (2nd class West) is also undefeated. However, the derby against leaders Pattigham/Pramet is scheduled for Sunday. Although both clubs form a youth team and are friends, this will be put on hold for 90 minutes at the weekend. While leaders Pattigham/Pramet can probably count on top scorer Valon Gashi again in the neighborhood duel, Schildorn wants to score points as a well-rehearsed collective. “We don’t have any outstanding players, but we’re a strong team,” says Stephan Hangler, sporting director of SV Schildorn.
A team that intends to rejuvenate itself in the years to come. “We think long-term. And since some of the supporters are already over thirty, we want to incorporate young talents in good time and carefully introduce them to the fighting team,” Hangler explains the club’s philosophy. With the young self-made players, SV Schildorn wants to get involved at the front, but is cautious when it comes to promotion. “On the one hand, it’s still much too early to even use the word first class. On the other hand, I don’t even know if it would be the right time at all. The team would probably have another year or two in the second class But if it does happen, we certainly won’t fight back,” says Stephan Hangler, who is completely satisfied with the coaching duo Philip Riepl/Sebastian Strasser. “In Sebastian Strasser we have got a player-coach with experience in the district league, who gives us a lot of stability. In addition, our long-term injured captain Stefan Maier is back on board and Niklas Gruber, a young Schildorner from the academy in Ried, has returned to his home club. That’s some of the reasons why things are going so well this year,” Hangler is convinced.
The coaching duo will decide who will take on Gashi and Co on Sunday. In any case, it is certain that the “Schuidinger” game will not be all about the goalscorer. “That’s not our attitude. We’ll just play our game,” says Hangler. So far this has worked flawlessly.
Source: Nachrichten
