Lustenau Halts Slide with Thrilling Six-Goal Draw Against Imst

The floodgates opened at Stadion an der Holzstraße on Saturday afternoon, where struggling Lustenau clawed back from behind twice to salvage a dramatic 3-3 draw with mid-table Imst in a Regionalliga West encounter that had everything but a winner.

For a Lustenau side that had shipped 19 goals in their previous five matches—a nightmarish stretch that included three defeats by three goals or more—this felt less like a point dropped and more like a lifeline grabbed. The home side entered the match occupying 14th place with just 10 points from 10 matches, their season threatening to spiral beyond recovery. Imst, sitting comfortably in sixth with 19 points, arrived as clear favorites despite their own recent stumble against Wacker Innsbruck.

The match unfolded as a back-and-forth affair that exposed defensive fragilities on both sides while showcasing attacking intent that had been missing from Lustenau's recent performances. After being battered 4-0 at Bischofshofen just a week ago, Austria Lustenau showed a resilience that had been conspicuously absent during a brutal run that saw them concede in double digits over their last five outings.

Imst appeared poised to continue Lustenau's misery, taking the lead and seemingly in control. But the hosts refused to buckle this time. Unlike the capitulation at Wals-Grünau where they conceded six, or the five-goal thrashing by Wacker Innsbruck, Lustenau matched Imst blow for blow. Each time the visitors found the net, Lustenau responded with urgency rather than resignation.

The pattern of the match reflected the contrasting trajectories of these two sides. Imst had built their mid-table position on a foundation of solid form—three wins in five matches before today, including victories over Kitzbühel and Wals-Grünau. Their attacking potency was evident as they repeatedly breached a Lustenau defense that had become Swiss cheese in recent weeks. Yet for all their quality going forward, Imst's defensive frailties surfaced at crucial moments, allowing a team starved of confidence to repeatedly get back into the contest.

The see-saw nature of the scoring kept the modest crowd engaged throughout, with neither team able to establish the kind of cushion that might have settled nerves. For Lustenau, every goal represented not just a step toward parity but a small victory against the crushing weight of recent results. The home side's attacking players, who had watched helplessly as their defense collapsed in previous weeks, finally had the support needed to make their own contributions count.

Imst will view this result with considerable frustration. Having accumulated 19 points through 11 matches, they came to Holzstraße expecting to extend their cushion over the relegation zone and perhaps eye a push toward the promotion places. Instead, they allowed a team in crisis to find its footing, squandering a two-goal advantage and settling for a draw that felt more like a defeat given the circumstances.

The point does precious little for either team's ambitions. Lustenau remains entrenched in 14th place, still with only 10 points and still staring at the very real possibility of a long winter battling relegation. But the psychological boost cannot be understated. After a month that saw them outscored 19-5 across five matches, including four defeats and a solitary draw, Lustenau showed they could compete when the chips were down. Finding three goals against a team 14 points better off in the standings represents genuine progress, even if the defensive issues remain glaringly unresolved.

For Imst, this was a missed opportunity to capitalize on their recent momentum. Now with 20 points from 11 matches, they remain in sixth but could have moved closer to the top half with a victory. Their inability to close out a struggling opponent will concern manager and supporters alike, particularly as the Regionalliga West grows more competitive heading into the season's crucial middle third.

Both teams will need to address their defensive vulnerabilities in training this week. Lustenau has now conceded 25 goals in 11 matches, while Imst's three goals allowed today bring their own defensive record into question. But on a Saturday afternoon in Vorarlberg, Lustenau showed that even teams in crisis can bite back when given space and opportunity.