SV Lochau strengthened their early-season position in the Austrian 3. Liga with a gritty 2-1 home victory over Rheindorf Altach B. The match, played in front of a lively crowd at the Sportplatz Lochau, saw the hosts come from behind to collect all three points and maintain their perfect home record in the campaign so far.

First-Half Exchange

Rheindorf Altach B started the brighter of the two sides and took a deserved lead in the 23rd minute when forward Luca Pehlivan volleyed home a cross from the right wing. The young Altach side, featuring several players from their academy system, looked confident and moved the ball well across the midfield. However, Lochau responded well and equalised eight minutes before the interval when a powerful header from defender Martin Summer landed in the bottom corner following a well-delivered free-kick.

The back-and-forth nature of the opening half delighted the neutral, but the home crowd had to wait until the 58th minute for the winning goal. Lochau's captain, Michael Sollfrank, collected the ball midway inside the Altach half, drove forward unchallenged, and unleashed a low drive from the edge of the box that skipped past the keeper at his near post.

Second-Half Control

After taking the lead, Lochau sat deeper and invited pressure from Rheindorf Altach B, but the away side could not find the equaliser despite a flurry of corners and set pieces. Lochau's goalkeeper was forced into two fine saves in the final fifteen minutes, while the woodwork came to the home side's rescue in stoppage time. The final whistle confirmed a valuable win that keeps Lochau in the upper third of the Austrian 3. Liga table, while Rheindorf Altach B will rue only their second defeat of the season.

What This Result Means

• SV Lochau extend their unbeaten run at home to five league matches.
• Rheindorf Altach B drop from the top five in the standings after the defeat.
• Lochau's Michael Sollfrank netted his third goal of the season from midfield.
• The two sides meet again later in the season in the reverse fixture.

For a Regionalliga fixture, the quality on display was excellent. Lochau, with a blend of experienced local talent and young players, are shaping up to be one of the most organised teams in the division. Their defensive resolve in the closing stages was exactly the kind of character needed to turn promising performances into victories. Rheindorf Altach B, meanwhile, will take encouragement from their attacking play and will target a response in their next match.