Ried cruise past Essen in comfortable friendly victory

SV Ried made light work of their visitors from Germany in what proved to be a largely one-directional affair at the Rieder Sportplatz. The Austrian hosts came into the match full of intent and rarely allowed Rot-Weiss Essen to settle into any kind of rhythm. From the opening stages, Ried controlled possession and created the better chances, setting the tone for what would become a frustrating afternoon for the away side.

Ried broke the deadlock through J. Rhodes in the 29th minute, with the forward finishing clinically to give the hosts a deserved lead. The goal settled any nerves and allowed Ried to dominate proceedings even more convincingly as the first half progressed. Essen struggled to mount any serious attacking threat and found themselves chasing the game from that point onwards.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Ried extending their advantage through E. Eghosa in the 59th minute. Eghosa's strike put the result beyond doubt and took the sting out of what little resistance Essen could muster. Ried's attacking players moved the ball with purpose while their defence remained virtually untested throughout the 90 minutes. Essen never looked like they could spark a comeback and were largely reduced to being spectators in their own match.

The comfortable victory gives Ried a positive pre-season outing ahead of the new campaign, with the performance suggesting their attacking options are in good shape. Essen, meanwhile, will have plenty to work on before their competitive action begins, particularly in how they set up against sides intent on pressing them high. For a friendly fixture, Ried's clinical finishing and control of the game delivered exactly what a manager would want to see heading into the season proper.