Zlatko Tripic came off the bench to give new SpVgg Greuther Fürth interim coach Janos Radoki a win in his first game in charge against Arminia Bielefeld in the 2. Bundesliga.
The game had looked nailed on for a draw after Nicolai Rapp’s own goal thirteen minutes from time had cancelled out his first goal for Fürth at the right end in the first half.
However the Norwegian winger came off the bench to make the difference as Fürth condemned Jürgen Kramny to his first taste of defeat with Bielefeld.
Both sides in transition
This was a game between two sides in differing stages of transition. Fürth parted company with coach Stefan Ruthenbeck earlier in the week, with Radoki taking charge until Christmas. Meanwhile this was just the second game in charge of Bielefeld for Kramny.
Radoki made two changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Dynamo Dresden last week as he looked to arrest five defeats in six matches. Marco Caligiuri, who was injured, and Robert Zulj were replaced by Rapp and Ante Vukusic.
Bielefeld were however unchanged after winning Kramny’s first game in charge against 1. FC Heidenheim. That meant their skipper, Fabian Klos, was not restored to the starting line-up having served a suspension in that game.
Rapp’s first goal punctuates limp first half
The first half was not blessed with much action, with both sides, especially the hosts, not having the confidence to take the initiative. The first chance came for the visitors when Manuel Prietl put a back-heel flick on a cross from Michael Görlitz. Balázs Megyeri managed to keep it out. Florian Hartherz also shot wide for Bielefeld.
Fürth would take the lead though with half-an-hour gone. A short corner, whipped into the box by Damjan Djokovic, was headed on to the post by Marcel Franke. He headed the rebound across to his fellow centre-back Rapp, with the 19-year-old converting with his first.
Neither side were able to take the game up to the next gear even after the goal. Megyeri was required to make one important save though, keeping out an awkward looping header from Andreas Volgsammer following a cross from Hartherz.
Tripic spares Rapp major embarrassment
It seemed neither manager was impressed with the first half either, with a combined total of three changes for the start of the second, including the introductions of Serdar Dursun and Klos up front.
Bielefeld would rattle up the shots early on, putting them into double figures, compared to just two from Fürth (including the goal). David Ulm, the other player introduced at the break, headed over a Tom Schütz free kick. Julian Börner also went over and Megyeri blocked Hartherz’s header before Klos headed over the resulting corner.
The momentum fizzled out after that, but eventually they would get a deserved equaliser. Hartherz thought his cross had passed over the box without harm, but Görlitz was able to put it back into the centre. Rapp put out a foot to try to stop it, but only succeeded in putting it into his own net.
The game looked destined to end in a draw with neither side looking likely to find a winner. Yet the Shamrocks did just that. In a quick break, Dursun headed down a clearance on the halfway line for Tripic to run on to, leaving him clean through to slot the ball under Wolfgang Hesl for a dramatic last minute winner.