An early season match in the Zittauer Gebirge between Neugersdorf and the FC An der Fahner Höhe saw no winner. Anxiety ruled for most of the match who had troubles finding their best XI due to injury problems.

The ground at Neugersdorf, the aptly named Sparkassen-Arena Oberlausitz, a small town close to the Czech border is well hidden or rather, well nestled in the neighborhood that it requires good local knowledge to find it. It is a ground within a larger sports complex, the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportanlage. It has a distinct East German charm about it.

Matchday two in Germany’s fifth division, the NOFV Oberliga Süd, saw FC Oberlausitz Neugersdorf (FCO) host the FC An der Fahner Höhe, a club from the small thuringian town of Gräfentonna. The name of the club derives from the Fahner Höhe, a hilly region in Thuringia. Both teams are relatively new to the division; Neugersdorf have been relegated in 2019 while Fahner Höhe were promoted in 2020.

To draw any conclusion this early in the season or to forecast it would be premature. The match however, started slow. The sense that the home team lacked conviction was palpable while the visitors tried to profit from this early on with a few quick passing movements which looked good as far as the penalty area. After this early pressure FCO found their footing yet there was equally no poise in their attacking movements. Thus the game took place between the boxes. FCO were more athletic while Fahner Höhe tried to outmuscle their opponent, something the referee attempted to restrain – largely successful for most of the match.

The first 15 minutes felt as though 30 had passed – time stretched like a chewing gum under a shoe sole. FCO’s left wing was deserted for large parts of the match – the player appeared to be in awe of the occasion and turned up second in almost all challenges. Yet, it was this very man who had THE chance to score just before half-time with a wonderful powerful shot that hit the crossbar. This was the closest either team came of scoring during 90 minutes.

A goal would have been good for the game, alas…

If FCO ended the first half on the up, the re-start after the interval saw a replay of the opening first minutes: Fahner Höhe pressing, FCO slowly getting into the match but soon this brought the same game pattern as seen in the first half: FCO trying to play around the back to find an opening, yet Fahner Höhe closed down those spaces, thus forcing long balls, which were abysmal to say the least. Fahner Höhe tried to counter but this brought no rewards.

The few times the keepers got their hands on the ball were after shots from the distance, a few free and corner kicks. The quality of the game of drew the ire of the crowd who made themselves heard. Of course, the sexagenarians and septuagenarians knew better and always have played better than those boys on the pitch. Some backchat from the green was inevitable but after the final whistle, they all high fived each other again.

The match ended 0-0, giving both teams their first point of the season.

FC Oberlausitz Neugersdorf – FC An der Fahrer Höhe 0-0, att.: 109

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