Disappointment & pride

Just minutes after the final whistle, Paul Fernie faced the challenge in a TV interview with Sky, tasked with putting the current phase of the season into the overall context: „Overall, we have to consider the season a success. But of course, we’ve had a dip in form since the international break in March, and that came at the worst possible time,“ the 39-year-old summarised, adding, with regard to the long wait for an away win: „With this away record, you’re not at the top of the table, and rightly so.“

Indeed, Darmstadt could have easily won the match against Karlsruhe. Particularly in the first half, despite significant personnel problems, SV 98 controlled the game and missed several opportunities to take the lead. „We were spared, let’s call it that,“ summarised an honest KSC head coach Eichner, referring to the clear-cut chances for Marco Richter, Hiroki Akiyama, and a highly debatable penalty area incident in which Isac Lidberg was brought down by Karlsruhe’s goalkeeper Bernat. All Darmstadt players agreed that a halftime lead was not only possible but practically essential. Nevertheless, the teams went into the dressing rooms goalless.

After the break, the hosts grew stronger, and SV 98, with many players forced to play in unfamiliar positions, found themselves trailing after just under an hour. Darmstadt’s response, in the form of Isac Lidberg’s leveller (his 16th goal of the season), was further proof of the character of the South Hessians. „I take my hat off to the fact that we came back after being 1-0 down,“ said Kohfeldt, who praised his team’s „heart“ but then had to watch as Karlsruhe snatched victory from the jaws of defeat shortly before the final whistle. „We gave it our all, everyone threw themselves into it, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough today either. That’s emblematic of the past few weeks,“ lamented Kai Klefisch after the match, without letting the recent results cloud his overall view of the season so far: „The disappointment over the past few weeks is huge. Nevertheless, we’ve had a top season overall. And there are still two games left in which we’ll give everything and try to earn our luck again.“

Teammate Raoul Petretta also focused on the two remaining matches: „It’s important to finish the season on a positive note. We want to win more games for all the fans, for everyone at the club, and of course for ourselves.“

With 51 points, Darmstadt 98 sit in fifth place after 32 matchdays. „We absolutely want to stay there,“ emphasised coach Florian Kohfeldt, referring to their three-point lead over sixth-placed Hertha BSC. „If we finish in the top third of the table, then it will have been a top season in terms of the standings as well.“

With precisely this mixture of disappointment over the past few weeks and pride in the entire season, Darmstadt will approach their remaining two matches in Münster and against SC Paderborn. And it was already clear on Sunday afternoon: Darmstadt 98 will do everything to end this season on a high note. It would be the perfect conclusion to what has been a largely very positive season.