The match got under way with Rapid showing a much changed line up. Injuries forced Pacults hand as he had to do without Pehlivan, Heikinnen, Salihi, Dober and Kavlak. The patched up Hütteldorfers had to withstand an opening onslaught from the hosts. Raimund Hedl was on top form between the sticks ensuring parity remained. In all honesty Ried could have been two goals to the good before Rapid manufactured their first attempt on goal, a wayward Boskovic effort. Against the run of play Rapid snatched the lead from a Hofmann corner. Branko Boskovic found a yard of space at the near post and guided a clinical header past Gebauer in the Ried goal to hand Rapid the advantage. Soon afterwards Boskovic was involved again as the Green Whites doubled their advantage. A pin point cross from the creative midfielder picked out an incisive near post Nikica Jelavic run. The Croatian marksman displayed his natural instincts in front of goal as his deft first time effort whistled past the keeper. Minutes before the interval Patocka replaced Katzer as Pacults injury crisis deepend. Ried snatched a goal before the break as Hammerer halved the deficit to give the hosts real hope for the second half. The home sides hopes of a come back were extinguished however as Steffen Hofmann restored Rapids two goal lead from the penalty spot. A powerful run from wideman Drazan resulted in the young winger being chopped down in the box. Steffen Hofmann displayed characteristic cool to beat the keepers dive and send the ball into the bottom corner.Half chances came and went for both sides but Rapid hung on to claim an excellent away win at what has in recent seasons not been a happy hunting ground. Pacult will be hoping the Physios treatment table empties itself soon enough as the crunch clash with RB Salzburg nears in what could prove to be a make or break evening for Rapid's Bundesliga hopes.29th round: SV Ried - SK Rapid 1:3 (1:2) Keine Sorgen Arena, 7.200, Referee Schörgenhofer Goals: 0:1 Boskovic (31.), 0:2 Jelavic (36.), 1:2 Hammerer (44.), 1:3 Hofmann (56. Penalty) SV Ried: Gebauer - Reifeltshammer (59./Sturm), Stocklasa, Burgstaller - Grasegger, Mader (77./Ziegl), Schrammel - Lexa, Hackmair, Nacho (58./Nuhiu) - Hammerer SK Rapid: Hedl - Thonhofer (68./Jovanovic), Eder, Soma, Katzer (44./Patocka) - Hofmann, Kulovits, Boskovic, Drazan (80./Konrad) - Trimmel, Jelavic Yellow Cards: Schrammel, Burgstaller, Hackmair, Lexa, Stocklasa Thonhofer, Trimmel, Patocka(gw)
31.08.2015