Defeated in Essen: Next defeat for Aue

FC Erzgebirge Aue have suffered another setback in their battle to stay in the 3rd soccer league. The Saxons lost 2:4 (1:2) at Rot-Weiss Essen and are five points off the first relegation place. Ali Loune (30th minute) and Steffen Nkansah (79th) scored for Aue, while Tom Moustir (21st), Ahmet Arslan (45.+1, penalty/65th) and Eric Voufack (88th) scored for the best team in the second half of the season.

The heavily depleted Aue side - four regulars were missing through injury - made their first appearance in front of the Essen goal after 18 minutes. However, Sean Seitz's header from a set piece narrowly missed the target.

Nkansah gives hope

Aue also had to register their next injury: Maxim Burghardt had to come off with knee pain, Pascal Fallmann came on. Just three minutes later, the FCE defense failed to clear a ball in their own penalty area and Moustier fired in an unstoppable shot from an acute angle.

Aue were knocked out but put up a fight. Fallmann crossed in front of the Essen goal and Loune somehow got the ball over the line with his chest. Aue then had the game under control, but Fallmann fouled Arslan in the penalty area and he converted the penalty with ease.

Arslan was also at the heart of the action after the changeover. The technician first hit the crossbar from distance (60'), then a few minutes later he aimed more accurately from a good 20 meters and scored his 13th goal of the season. Loune (78) missed his second goal with a header, but Nkansah scored from the resulting corner and Aue had one last glimmer of hope - but Voufack made it all clear for Essen after a counterattack.