Austria round-up: Challengers eat into Tirol's lead

Wins for Grazer AK and SK Sturm Graz on Saturday maintained their slim title hopes in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Brief respite for challengers
While FC Tirol Innsbruck remain well clear at the top of the table, wins for second-placed Sturm and third-placed Grazer saw them take temporary in-roads into Tirol's huge lead before the leaders' game with FC Kärnten on Sunday.

Late goal sinks Rapid
Sturm left it late at the Hardturm stadium before securing a 1-0 win against SK Rapid Wien. The visitors had frustrated Sturm for 90 minutes and seemed set to earn a share of the points until a goal in added time from Ivica Vastic. Charles Amoah picked up the ball in the penalty area before laying it off to Vastic who drilled a low shot into the back of the net for the only goal of the game and his 11th strike of the season.

Grazer cruise through
It was much plainer sailing for Grazer who took an early lead against basement dwellers VfB Admira Wacker Mödling and held firm to secure a 2-0 win. Ronald Brunmayr put the Graz side ahead after just six minutes after a terrible pass from Christian Banovits but they had to wait until Joachim Standfest's 74th minute header from Brunmayr's cross to be sure of all three points at the Bundesstadion Südstadt.

No joy for Ried
In Saturday's other games, two goals in eleven second-half minutes secured a 2-0 win for FK Austria Wien at home to SV Ried. The visitors had barely recovered from Vladimir Janocko's 58th-minute opener at the Franz Horr stadium before Sigurd Rushfeldt rose to head home a second goal after 69 minutes. The scoreline could have been even more emphatic but for Martin Hiden's late penalty miss.

Kitzbichler on target for Salzburg
Meanwhile, SV Austria Salzburg took fourth place in the table with a 2-1 win against Schwarz-Weiss Bregenz. The visitors took the lead after 56 minutes through Axel Lawaree, but Salzburg were back on level terms nine minutes later through Goran Tomic. The game looked to be heading for a draw until Richard Kitzbichler scored the winner for Salzburg eight minutes from time.