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Report: Hosiner winner claims three points in Dresden

Union end season with victory

Sun, 13. May 2018
Report: Hosiner winner claims three points in Dresden

Philipp Hosiner's 82nd-minute winner gave 1. FC Union Berlin the final three points of the 2.Bundesliga season against Dynamo Dresden on Sunday.

With little to separate the teams in front of 30,785 supporters, the Austrian striker came off the bench and brought a punch to Andre Hofschneider's front line. Kristian Pedersen assisted with a expertly-weighted cross into the danger zone and Hosiner finished his second goal of the 2.Bundesliga campaign. 

Dynamo Dresden XI: Schwäbe; Seguin (Hauptmann 78), Heise, Ballas, Franke; Kreuzer, Konrad; Duljevic (Horvath 69), Benatelli, Mlapa; Kone (Testroet 75)

1. FC Union Berlin XI: Mesenhöler; Trimmel, Leistner, Friedrich, Kurzweg (Pedersen 63); Parensen (Fürstner 83), Prömel; Redondo (Hosiner 62), Gogia, Hartel, Hedlund

The all-important match winner and captain last week against VfL Bochum, Steven Skrzybski dropped out of the squad as a result of a muscle problem sustained from that appearance. Dennis Daube was missing also, with both replaced by Marcel Hartel and Akaki Gogia in Andre Hofschneider's starting eleven. Kenny Prince Redondo continued in an attacking role having contributed to three of Union's last five league goals. 

A vociferous atmosphere welcomed Union to Dresden, the home side still locked in a relegation battle at the bottom of the 2.Bundesliga. Hofschneider's men looked to silence that home crowd in the first few minutes when off-the-ball pressure forced a mistake, a loose ball which then landed at Simon Hedlund but his shot was well-saved by keeper Marvin Schwäbe. On 14 minutes, Toni Leistner came close, heading over the crossbar from Christopher Trimmel's corner kick.

Uwe Neuhaus, Union's most successful coach of all-time, leads the way at Dynamo Dresden and his side grew to take over control in the second part of the first half. Rico Benatalli was poised to pull the trigger and likely open the scoring, but the midfielder was thwarted by determined defending from Marvin Friedrich and Leistner. Three minutes later, Philip Heise was played in by Haris Duljevic, but the left-back's rocket shot cannoned only against the crossbar as the half moved to a close.

A mundane start to the final half of the campaign promoted Hofschneider to make a double change with around half an hour to go. Pedersen replaced Peter Kurzweg at left full-back, whilst Hosiner joined the attack in place of Redondo. Daniel Mesenhöler was put under the cosh around the hour mark and pulled off a smart save from substitute Pascal Testroet.

The coach's earlier move paid dividends with Pedersen powering down the left-hand side, firing across the face of goal for the waiting Hosiner to slide home, eight minutes from the end. The victorious Union team, the coaches and the 3,000 supporters celebrated the points at the final whistle with the Köpenick club finishing the campaign in eighth place on 47 points.