FC St. Pauli

After a two-week break from competitive football, the Boys in Brown went into the game determined to return to winning ways. Markus Kauczinski was forced to make several changes to his starting eleven, however. Luca Zander missed out with an ankle injury, while Christopher Avevor lost the race to regain match fitness in time for the game. With this in mind, the St. Pauli boss opted to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation instead of the more attacking 4-1-4-1 used in the 5-3 home defeat against Cologne. Philipp Ziereis was the sole survivor from the back four that day. He lined up alongside Florian Carstens, who was making his first start in the first team. Marvin Knoll moved up into midfield, while Yiyoung Park started at right-back, Jeremy Dudziak on the left.

Carstens was in the spotlight almost immediately, blocking a shot from Fabian Kalig in the tenth minute after the ball had pinged dangerously around the box for a few seconds. The 19-year-old and his fellow defenders were unable to prevent the home side taking the lead soon after, however. Dennis Kempe drove forward menacingly before slipping the ball to Emmanuel Iyoha on the left. And though Robin Himmelmann was able to palm away his effort, the ball fell kindly for Kempe, who slotted home from near the penalty spot.

Our answer was not long in coming. Knoll whipped a free-kick into the mixer, where Henk Veerman made use of his height advantage to guide a glancing header into the far corner. The goal lifted Kauczinski's side, who began to dominate the proceedings and almost went ahead in the 20^th minute when Christopher Buchtmann rifled a shot against the upright. Instead, the goal came at the other end. And what a goal it was, Pascal Testroet posting his application to succeed FCSP blind footballer Serdal Celebi as winner of the goal of the month competition with an unstoppable drive into the top corner.

In a busy first 45, Henk Veerman headed his side level.

The Boys in Brown switched to a back three after the restart, with Knoll slotting in between Ziereis and Carstens. Kauczinski also introduced second striker in the shape of Jan-Marc Schneider. The new man showed his quality very soon, making off down the right to whip the ball into the middle, where Aue custodian Martin Männel reacted brilliantly to thwart Veerman at the last moment.

Kauczinski's charges grew in confidence, but that opened up space for the home side. And when they lost their shape momentarily in the 75^th minute, Jan Hochscheidt received a long ball on the right and made off towards the danger area before hammering an unstoppable shot past Himmelmann into the far corner from a narrow angle.

Undaunted, the Boys in Brown continued to push forward. On 78, Buchtmann pulled the trigger on the turn, but Männel was alert to the danger and gathered. The home side gave little away in the closing stages, however, and protected their lead to the final whistle, having struck just when Kauczinski's side were enjoying their best phase of the game.

FC Erzgebirge Aue

Männel – Kalig, Breitkreuz, Rapp – Rizzuto, Tiffert, Fandrich, Kempe – Hochscheit (Kvesic 77') – Iyoha (Strauss 86'), Testroet (Wydra 90'+1)

Head coach: Daniel Meyer

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann – Park, Ziereis, Carstens, Dudziak (Sobota 75') – Flum (Diamantakos 88'), Knoll – Neudecker (Schneider 46'), Buchtmann, Møller Dæhli – Veerman

Head coach: Markus Kauczinski

Goals: 1-0 Kempe (15'), 1-1 Veerman (17'), 2-1 Testroet (31'), 3-1 Hochscheidt (75')

Yellow cards: Kempe, Rizzuto – Buchtmann

Referee: Bastian Dankert

Attendance: 12,000

Photo: Witters