Image: GEPA pictures/ Walter Luger
“Leaders! Leader! Hey! Hey!” 1,500 Blue and White Linz fans who traveled with them celebrated their team – they had taken a big step towards the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win at title rivals St. Pölten. Tobias Koch and Ronivaldo scored dream goals, and as a result of taking the lead in the table, the dream of promotion is now within reach.
“Playing here away from home, where you have to win – that was an excellent performance,” said coach Gerald Scheiblehner, but urged concentration for the last three rounds. “The win is only worth something if we keep winning.” Now it’s only up to Blau-Weiss Linz: The lead over St. Pölten is two points – and the direct duel was also won, which ultimately decided the match in the event of a tie would.
In St. Pölten, Linz showed from the first second who was the master of the house – and not just on the pitch: Driven by 1,500 fans, the duel in the fight for the title was a home game. For comparison: The current Hofmann-Personal-Stadion offers space for just 990 fans at home games. Scheiblehner: “The fans were our twelfth man.”
After 51 seconds they already had the goal scream on their lips when Matthias Seidl hit the crossbar. A number of good chances followed.
It was precisely in the phase in which St. Pölten had found the first good opportunities on the counterattack through Yacouba Silue (25th) and Kevin Monzialo (31st) that Blau-Weiss took the lead: Koch volleyed from the box and scored the first goal :0 to the Kreuzeck (34th) – a dream goal. Linz could have extended their lead just before the break: first, Stolz had saved Ronivaldo with a save, and then the home team joined forces to clear Mayulu from the subsequent corner.
Ronivaldo goal from 40 meters
In the second half, Blau-Weiss Linz didn’t let the three points be taken away: The guests only had to tremble when Din Barlov shot and then Silue headed the ball. Symbol of dedication and passion was Ronivaldo, the striker who stopped a St. Pölten attack in the 72nd minute after sprinting halfway across the field. The 34-year-old Brazilian made everything clear in the 92nd minute: With his chip from 40 meters over goalkeeper Stolz to make it 2-0, all dams broke. “We played an incredible game,” said Ronivaldo happily. “That was a big step, but there are still three rounds to play.”
Source: Nachrichten
