FC St. Pauli

The sole aim going into the game was to avoid a final day nerve shredder in the battle against relegation. Before the action started, the departing Lasse Sobiech, Mats Møller Dæhli, Thibaud Verlinden and Joel Keller were given an official send-off. The first two then went off to warm up, as they had been named in the starting lineup along with Brian Koglin, Yiyoung Park, Johannes Flum, who came in for the injured Christopher Buchtmann, Bernd Nehrig (both muscle strains) and Philipp Ziereis (groin problem).

Markus Kauczinski's side hit the ground running, Sobiech testing Bielefeld keeper Stefan Ortega with a piledriver from the edge of the area just seconds after the kick-off. Soon after Richard Neudecker curled a free-kick over the top from a promising position and then Sobiech directed a header wide of the right-hand post. An explosive start, then, but it was followed by a prolonged lull in the goalmouth action, even though both teams looked to get forward at every opportunity.

Bielefeld displayed plenty of attacking desire, but it was the Boys in Brown who fashioned the better chances. Flum drilled a shot just wide from the edge of the box, and then Ortega launched himself across goal to keep out another Sobiech header. Two minutes later, however, the Millerntor erupted in jubilation when Park collected the ball from Neudecker, nutmegged Henri Weigelt and impudently beat Ortega at the near post from a tight angle to give his side a half-time lead.

The key moment of the opening 45 – Park dupes the Bielefeld rearguard.

That set the Boys in Brown up perfectly for the second half, in which Markus Kauczinski's side focused on their defensive duties with a view to catching the visitors on the break. Arminia showed no lack of motivation going forward but struggled to find a way through a solid St. Pauli rearguard. Andreas Voglsammer was denied by Robin Himmelmann when presented with a rare opportunity to shoot in the box on 70, and four minutes later Manuel Prietl blasted the ball a whisker past the upright from distance.

After that let-off the Boys in Brown had several opportunities to break in the closing stages but were unable to land the killer blow. But urged on by all the non-playing members of the squad, who had taken their places alongside the bench, they saw the game out to secure a vital win.

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann – Koglin (Zehir 85'), Sobiech, Avevor – Kalla (Sobota 68'), Park, Flum, Dudziak - Møller Dæhli, Neudecker – Diamantakos (Bouhaddouz 90')

Head coach: Markus Kauczinski

DSC Arminia Bielefeld

Ortega – Dick (Brandy 80'), Weigelt, Salger, Hartherz – Massimo (Hemlein 58'), Schütz, Prietl, Kerschbaumer (Weihrauch 58') – Klos, Voglsammer

Head coach: Jeff Saibene

Goals: 1-0 Park (39')

Yellow cards: Salger

Referee: Markus Schmidt

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: Witters