Union Berlin coach Urs Fischer felt his side were deserving winners of the first ever Bundesliga derby against Hertha, despite needing a 90th-minute penalty to take the points.
Sebastian Polter’s late spot-kick, awarded after substitute Joshua Mees had been brought down in the box, ensured it was Union who came out on top at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei.
It was the first time the city rivals had met in the top flight following Union’s historic promotion from the second tier last season, and Fischer was delighted with the outcome.
He said in quotes reported by his club’s website: “I really liked today, especially the first half.
“It was a convincing performance. At no point did I have the feeling that we were letting the game slip away.
“At the end we were a bit happy with the penalty, but we spent over 90 minutes trying to win the game. That’s why it’s a well-deserved win for me on the whole.”
After a goalless first half, play was paused in the early stages of the second period due to fireworks let off by fans.
That contributed to 10 minutes of added time at the end of the game, but Hertha could not find an equaliser as Union moved to within a point of their 11th-placed opponents in the Bundesliga standings.
Hertha defender Niklas Stark said on his club’s website: “Of course we’re gutted with this loss.
“This defeat hurts. We knew that it would be a difficult game and that it was an important fixture for the club and city. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a favourable result. It felt like a 0-0 out there.
“For me it’s not a clear penalty, it’s a disputable decision.”
He added of the off-field incidents: “We distance ourselves from the missiles that were thrown inside the stadium.
“There are children here, that’s not on. It’s simply not on, and I think I speak for the whole team there.
“As a player you try to switch it off, even if it can be a little distracting. Flares are also not OK but throwing missiles into other blocks where there are kids, you have to distance yourself from that.”
