Lavrič heads Sturm to Austrian Cup success

SK Sturm Graz have landed their first silverware since their 1998/99 treble-winning season after Klemen Lavrič's late header gave them a 1-0 win against SCM Wiener Neustadt in the Austrian Cup final.

Neustadt entered the game as clear outsiders but gave as good as they got in front of a 28,000-strong crowd at the Wörthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt. It took an astonishing reflex save from Sturm goalkeeper Christian Gratzei to deny Johannes Aigner a second-minute opener, and though the Graz side picked up the pace thereafter, it always looked like a game that would be decided by a single mistake.

Alexander Grünwald tried his luck with a long-range effort for Neustadt on 78 minutes but his side were undone just two minutes later. Mario Haas laid the ball on for Lavrič and the Slovenian international nodded past Sašo Fornezzi to decide the outcome. "We all expected to win today," admitted Sturm coach Franco Foda, still dripping from a champagne shower. "I'm happy for our supporters but most of all for the team. The boys worked hard for this."