The Young Violets secured a decisive 4-1 victory over Rapid II in the ADMIRAL 2. Liga derby, climbing to fifth place in the standings following Sunday morning’s fixture at the Generali Arena, according to match reports from league coverage.
First-Half Breakthrough at Generali Arena
The opening stages of the 7th-round match saw both sides test each other early. The Young Violets generated the game’s first real danger when Bruno Jerabek tried his luck from distance in the 9th minute, narrowly missing the target. Just a minute later, the hosts forced Rapid II goalkeeper Laurenz Orgler into a strong save following a corner kick. The pressure finally told in the 14th minute. Jerabek dribbled his way through the Rapid defense inside the penalty area before executing a clean chip over Orgler to open the scoring.
Rapid II gradually worked their way back into an open, flowing contest. Just past the 35-minute mark, Orgler again kept his side in touch by denying a close-range shot from Deshisku, leaving the score at 1-0 heading into halftime.
Rapid II’s Brief Response and Turning Point
The second half erupted immediately after the restart. In the 48th minute, Noel Polonkai capitalized on space roughly 20 meters out, driving a low, accurate shot into the bottom right corner to double the Young Violets’ lead to 2-0. Rapid II answered almost immediately in the 52nd minute. Following a square pass from Ekerokosu, Nicolas Jozepovic tapped the ball home to cut the deficit in half.
With momentum shifting, Rapid II pressed for an equalizer. However, the visitors dealt their own comeback hopes a severe blow in the 63rd minute. Paul Ertl, already carrying a yellow card, wrestled down Hausjell during a long-ball duel and was shown a second yellow, resulting in a red card that left Rapid II with ten men.
Late Flourish Secures the Derby Points
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the young Rapid players continued to create openings. In the 70th minute, a header from Szladits forced Young Violets goalkeeper Blazevic into a sharp save. At the other end, Vorsager came close with a header that sailed narrowly past the post in the 77th minute.
The match was definitively settled in the 83rd minute through a spectacular individual effort from Illia Menshykov. The Ukrainian attacker dribbled in from the left flank and curled a precise shot into the top far corner. Menshykov added his second of the match deep into stoppage time, tapping in from a counter-attack in the 92nd minute to seal the 4-1 scoreline.
Standings Impact and Upcoming Fixtures
The comprehensive derby win lifts the Young Violets to fifth place in the 2. Liga table, fueled by a strong run of three consecutive home victories. Meanwhile, Rapid II’s struggles continue; the defeat marks their fourth loss in a row. They remain 14th in the standings with six points after seven rounds, sitting just above Hertha Wels and bottom-placed Kapfenberg.
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