FC St. Pauli

Head coach Olaf Janßen made three changes to the side that lost to Ingolstadt on Saturday. Fit-again Lasse Sobiech came in for the injured Marc Hornschuh (back problem), Daniel Buballa for Cenk Sahin and Richard Neudecker for Maurice Litka. Buballa slotted in at left-back in a 4-1-4-1 formation, Dudziak moved up into midfield, and Neudecker partnered Johannes Flum in central midfield in front of lone holding midfielder Bernd Nehrig. Surprise league leaders Kiel also started in a 4-1-4-1, with FCSP loanee Marvin Ducksch, already on five goals for the season, in the lone striker role.

The game kicked off ten minutes late due to a pitch invasion during the warm-up by a section of the home crowd. Both teams fought for every ball from the outset, giving no quarter in the tackle. Kiel had the first half-chance in the tenth minute when the Boys in Brown lost possession in their own half and the home side broke quickly, but Kingsley Schindler's shot went comfortably wide.

Kiel came much closer two minutes later, however, and FCSP keeper Robin Himmelmann had to produce a fine save to keep out a David Kinsombi header. At the other end Neudecker created space for a shot in the penalty area, but Kiel custodian Kenneth Kronholm made the save. With both sides looking to switch the play quickly, the pace of the game picked up considerably. In the 17^th minute Aziz Bouhaddouz skipped past two defenders and pulled the trigger from the inside-left channel. Waldemar Sobota stuck his head out and made contact with the ball, only to see it fly over the top.

In the ensuing period both sides largely cancelled each other out. Kiel were the league's leading scorers going into the game with 15 goals but they hardly had a look-in against a compact St. Pauli defence. The next chance again fell to the Boys in Brown on 24 when Flum headed wide from a Luca Zander cross. There followed a brief spell of pressure from the home side with a chance for Dominik Drexler, but his shot from ten metres was cleared by the toe of Sobiech.

Operating from a solid backline, Olaf Janßen's side continued to probe and fashioned a number of chances. One of them opened up for Dudziak, who went for goal from just outside the box on 34, but his shot was too central and Kronholm gathered easily. The goal finally came just before half-time. Bouhaddouz fed Neudecker, who knocked a superb pass into the Kiel penalty area for Flum, and he hammered an unstoppable shot past Kronholm into the roof of the net. Steven Lewerenz still had time to squander a chance from close range on the stroke of half-time, ensuring the Boys in Brown went in at the break a goal to the good.

Goalscorer Johannes Flum celebrates with Richie Neudecker, who provided the assist.

Both teams came out unchanged for the second half. Kiel were looking to avoid their first home defeat in 2017, while the objective for the Boys in Brown was to protect their lead and thus secure their eighth away win of the year. Janßen's team remained focused and continued to play very well. Kiel pushed forward but were unable to find a way through the St. Pauli defence.

After an evenly balanced first half in possession terms, the Boys in Brown were now happy to let the home side see more of the ball, but they remained a threat on the counter. Zander gave them a heart-stopping moment on 59, however, when he misdirected a backpass to Himmelmann, but the keeper stretched out a leg and was able to hack the ball clear.

Kiel had scored at least twice in every game so far and stepped up the pressure, but still they were unable to penetrate the FCSP penalty area. Janßen responded with two changes, introducing Sami Allagui for Bouhaddouz in the 62^nd minute and Maurice Litka for Dudziak, who had to go off with a knee problem, on 70.

In the 72^nd minute Janßen's charges broke quickly via Sobota and Neudecker, who sent Allagui clear with a diagonal ball. The striker went for goal from the right-hand side of the box but was unable to get the better of Kronholm. At the other end Alexander Mühling tried his luck from 18 metres. Substitute Aaron Seydel stuck a foot out and, to the relief of the travelling fans, the ball rolled just wide of the right-hand upright.

Kiel increasingly pinned the Boys in Brown back in their own half but the defence continued to deal with everything the league leaders could throw at them. The home side were then reduced to ten men seven minutes from time when Patrick Herrmann was sent off for a second bookable offence. And in the fifth minute of time added on Himmelmann prevented what looked like a certain equaliser with an outstanding save, diving to his left to catch Kinsombi's volley.

The referee then blew his whistle. Just three days after the bitterly disappointing 4-0 defeat against Ingolstadt, the Boys in Brown claimed all three points at the home of the early season pacemakers.

Holstein Kiel

Kronholm – Herrmann, Schmidt, Czichos, Heidinger – Kinsombi – Schindler (Seydel 66'), Drexler, Mühling, Lewerenz (Peitz 78') – Ducksch (Hoheneder 89')

Head coach: Markus Anfang

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann - Zander, Sobiech, Avevor, Buballa - Nehrig - Sobota (Kalla 76'), Flum, Neudecker, Dudziak (Litka 70') - Bouhaddouz (Allagui 62')

Head coach: Olaf Janßen

Goals: 0-1 Flum (44')

Yellow cards: Drexler, Herrmann, Heidinger - Zander, Bouhaddouz, Neudecker, Sobiech, Flum

Red card (second yellow): Herrmann (persistent foul play 83')

Referee: Harm Osmers

Attendance: 11,995 (sold out)

Photos: Witters