Pipinsried sense of achievement: 3:3 won

It's all in the head: Faton Dzemailji (right) prevails in an aerial duel against Yannik Günzel from Heimstetten. © Haelke

A small sense of achievement for the bottom of the Regionalliga Bayern: FC Pipinsried made up a 0-3 deficit in the basement duel in Heimstetten and drew 3-3.

Pipinsried – First a tired kick with the expected course of the game, then an offensive spectacle par excellence: FC Pipinsried equalized a 0:3 deficit in the Regionalliga match at SV Heimstetten. The rump team, only two healthy players sat on the substitutes' bench on Saturday, showed great morale in the final phase of the basement duel.

In the wild last 20 minutes of the game, both teams played with their visors completely open. But up to that point, from Pipinsried's point of view, the game went the same way as the previous games: Almost every shot on the Pipinsried goal was a goal. Keeper Daniel Witetschek was once again the poorest Pipinsried player, as he was let down several times by his defence. He was also unable to prevent a 0-2 deficit at half-time. Heimstetten's goalscorer on duty, Lukas Riglewski, had put together a brace, both times he was able to net almost unchallenged.

When Ikenna Ezeala scored after 50 minutes to make it 3-0 for the hosts, the game seemed to be over. SVH, second-to-last in the Regionalliga, made a lively substitution as a result, having already made five substitutions by the 63rd minute. But then SVH player Alexis Fambo got injured - and his team had to play outnumbered from then on.

Pipinsried takes advantage of this. Belmin Idrizovic (69') scored the first goal with a flick into the right corner. After Claudio Milican took advantage of a big buck in the Heimstetten defence to make it 2-3 (73rd), it dawned on the hosts that the match was not over after all. Five minutes before the end, Halit Yilmaz scored the not undeserved equaliser.

But the match didn't end there. From then on, there could no longer be any talk of orderly defensive work for both teams. Both teams had the winning goal on their feet, but the best players of their team, the two goalkeepers Max Riedmüller (SVH) and Daniel Witetschek, were of the opinion that three goals conceded were enough. With some spectacular saves, they prevented further goals from being conceded. The bird was shot down by Witetschek, who fended off a ten-meter hammer from Ben Biton from Heimstetten with a sensational reflex.

With the draw, FC Pipinsried remains at the bottom of the table, but at least the Pipinsried team showed great morale. The fact that the team has a lot up its sleeve even without their injured player-coach Herbert Paul, especially in the game with the ball, led by the very good Marin Pudic, they showed once again. However, football also requires clean defensive work - and that is not currently available at FCP.

"We've seen what's possible," Paul said after the game. "But if you start playing football after 65 minutes... However, I have to compliment the team for never giving up."

On the sidelines of the match, it was announced that Ryosuke Kikuchi will leave FCP after the season. He returns to his native Japan.