1. FC Union Berlin capped a superb first half of the Regionalliga Nordost season, beating Bischofswerdaer FV 5-0 in heavy snowfall on Saturday afternoon. Sarah Abu Sabbah opened the scoring, followed quickly with goals from Lisa Heiseler and Dina Orschmann. Abu Sabbah made it 4-0 before Heiseler scored Union’s fifth in stoppage time.

1. FC Union Berlin: Hornschuch - D. Orschmann (87. Rurack), K. Orschmann, Niesler, Moraitou - Görsdorf, Heiseler, Frank - Blaschka (66. Reissner), Abu Sabbah, Trojahn (87. Youssef)

Bischofswerdaer FV: Werner - Prill, Salzer, Gries, Kögler - Müller - Rinke, Kasper (73. Gneuß), Salzmann, Wendisch - Fiedler (73. Kubaink)

The team

 Union’s head coach Ailien Poese made one change to the that started the 3-0 win in Cup against Türkiyemspor a week and a half ago, Celine Frank replacing Pia Metzker in midfield.

Goals: 0:1 Abu Sabbah (23'), 0:2 Heiseler (26'), 0:3 D. Orschmann (28.), 0:4 Abu Sabbah (50.), 0:5 Heiseler (90+2.)

Attendance: 65

Abu Sabbah breaks through. Heiseler and Orschmann add to their tallies

The LaOla football pitch in Bischofswerda was covered with a layer of snow from the off, and it made things difficult from the start. Union were confident, but the conditions made things hard, especially against a side who were sitting deep in their own half, asking Union to come on to them.

Initially, they created few chances of note while a tenacious Bischofswerdaer looked to counter whenever they could, if without much success.

It took 23 minutes for Sarah Abu Sabbah to put the guests ahead with the first shot on goal. The league’s top scorer tricked her way through, finishing into the top corner from the edge of the box.

The goal seemed to take a weight off the Union players’ shoulders and, as such, within three minutes they scored again. Abu Sabbah and Dina Orschmann knocked the ball between themselves before the latter crossed into the box, straight to the feet of Lisa Heiseler who volleyed home with consummate ease.

Union’s skipper has made a habit of finishing from the peak of midfield, and it is to her credit that she comes even close to the prolific Abu Sabbah at the top of the scorers’ lists.

Union stepped up. Heiseler’s shot after almost half an hour was blocked, but it fell only to the feet of Dina Orschmann, who volleyed home, the keeper with no chance. The hosts had fought hard, in horrible conditions, but Union had taken them apart in five devastating minutes.

Abu Sabbah and Heiseler extend Union’s lead

Shortly after the break, Abu Sabbah made things certain. The centre-forward was set up by Sophie Trojahn beating Bischofswerda goalkeeper Laura Werner five minutes into the second half. Shortly afterwards, only the post prevented Lisa Heiseler from scoring her second goal.

But by then the snow had begun to fall slowing the movement of the ball. It roused Bischofswerda, and they fought tooth and nail, but they still struggled to challenge Union stopper, Sarah Hornschuch, in her first league start for Union.

But with the clock ticking away towards the end of the game (and a superb first half of the season for Union) Sophie Trojahn tried her luck, Werner punching the ball away.

It was far from her only good save. She tipped a shot from Celine Frank around the post shortly afterwards, topped only when she fingertipped Athanasia Moraitou’s 25-yard drive away, two minutes into stoppage time.  

The subsequent corner, however, found the head of the towering Zita Rurack. She hit the crossbar, but Heiseler was there to blast the ball over the line to make it 5-0.

Union’s lead over Viktoria is now nine points, and they have the luxury of a winter looking back only on a season of success. Head coach, Ailien Poese said as much after the final whistle.

“We could certainly have scored one or two more goals, but to perform so confidently in those conditions and not concede anything is testament to the fact that we have carried on what we’ve been doing in recent games.”

Both her, her staff and her squad’s focus remains true. They won’t stop until the final whistle is blown.