A quick look at the table going into Sunday's home match against Grödig made for unpleasant reading for Rapid fans with the club sat in 9th place. However, three points would see the Hütteldorfers jump to 3rd in the tabl behind early pace setters Salzburg and Wolfsberg. Trainer Zoran Barisic fielded a much changed starting eleven compared the one that suffered European elimination at the hands of HJK Helsinki midweek. The injured Mario Pavelic was replaced at right back by Thomas Schrammel, while Stefan Stangl came in at left back for his competitive debut. Fellow new boy Srdjan Grahovic also made the starting line up in place of the injured Brian Behrendt, whilst Philipp Schobesberger also received a starting berth. In contrast to the youngsters finding their way into the first team, Captain Steffen Hofmann reached another milestone for the club as he took to the field for his 350th league appearance in the famous green and white. Schrammel wonder-strike!Rapid made a breezy start to the game, knocking the ball around with confidence and purpose in the opposition half. The first half chance fell to the lively Louis Schaub (10.), and the Green & White faithful wouldn't have to wait long before celebrating the first goal of the afternoon: A mazy run from Schaub saw him work his way into the box before pulling the ball back towards Beric, whose shot rebounded off a defender and it looked as though the danger had passed. But the ball came to Thomas Schrammel on the edge of the box at about waist height, and the full back showed superb technique, cutting across the ball with a stinging flat volley that was rising slightly as it smacked the underside of the crossbar and went into the back of the net, giving Grödig keeper Stankovic no chance - 1:0 (14.)!As the rain began to fall Grödig managed to work a few sights of goal for themselves, but efforts from Cabrera (27.) and the impressive Reyna (34.) never really looked like troubling Jan Novota. A deflected shot from Louis Schaub nearly put some daylight between the two teams, but the half ended with Schrammel's wonder strike separating the sides.Steffen Hofmann: the man for the occasionThe first chance of the second half again went the way of Louis Schaub, who tested Stankovic with a decent drive (58.). However just minutes later the Grödig keeper was beaten for a second time when good play down the right flank involving Schaub saw the ball worked to Schrammel, whose cross into the penalty area was guided first time into the roof of the net by Hofmann to mark his 350th league appearance in style - 2:0 (62.)! Despite now being two goals adrift the guests rallied and carried enough menace to suggest that Rapid still had work to do to claim the three points. Philipp Schobesberger nearly wrapped things up for the Hütteldorfers with little over a quarter of an hour to play, but his goal bound effort was expertly clawed away by a superb stop from Stankovic (74.). substitute Florian Kainz also had a late chance following a counter attack (85.), but in the end it was academic as the whistle went to signify a convincing 2:0 victory for Rapid over a dangerous opponent. tipico Bundesliga, 7th round:SK Rapid - SV Grödig 2:0 (1:0)Ernst-Happel-Stadion, 12.100 Attendance, Referee KolleggerGoals: 1:0 Schrammel (14.), 2:0 S. Hofmann (61.)SK Rapid: Novota - Schrammel, Sonnleitner, M. Hofmann, Stangl - Grahovac, Wydra - Schaub (90./Starkl), S. Hofmann (68./Schwab), Schobesberger (77./F. Kainz) - BericSV Grödig: C. Stankovic - Handle, Cabrera, Karner, Martschinko - Brauer - Schütz (67./Boller), Tomi, Nutz (67./Djuric), Huspek - ReynaYellow Cards: Sonnleitner, M. Hofmann, Beric Cabrera, Tomi, Karner, Brauer(gw)