FC St. Pauli

An injury-ravaged St. Pauli travelled to Aue with no fewer than 15 players on the casualty list, though James Lawrence and Mats Møller Dæhli were declared fit to play before the game. Jos Luhukay therefore had to make several changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Bochum last time out. Daniel Buballa, Johannes Flum and Dimitrios Diamantakos all missed out through injury and were replaced by Jan-Philipp Kalla (left-back), Marvin Knoll (defensive midfield) and Henk Veerman (centre-forward), the latter making his first competitive start in 11 months. James Lawrence also came into the back four for Philipp Ziereis (bench), while Ersin Zehir (first start this season) stood in for Møller Dæhli (bench). Aue coach Dirk Schuster, in contrast, made just one change to the team that drew 1-1 at Karlsruher SC, Tom Baumgart deputising for the suspended Jan Hochscheidt.

The Boys in Brown began with Kalla in the role of captain. A good omen? He had worn the skipper's armband in our one and only win in Saxony nearly six years ago, after all. After a ten-minute phase in which the two teams felt each other out, the game suddenly burst into life. First, Veerman had a low drive saved by Aue keeper Martin Männel and then Robin Himmelmann defused an effort from Tom Baumgart. But after Waldemar Sobota had dragged an attempt well off target, Florian Krüger fired the home side ahead at the other end, leaving Himmelmann with no chance with a powerful shot from close range.

Midway through the half the home side then demanded a penalty after Krüger directed a ball against Lawrence's arm from a short distance. It went to VAR and, having looked at the replay, referee Markus Schmidt pointed to the spot. A harsh decision. Dimitrij Nazarov couldn't care less; he converted the penalty. Himmelmann did get a hand to the ball, but couldn't stop it going in.

The Boys in Brown fashioned another chance just after half an hour, Knoll finding Veerman with the outside of his foot, but the Dutchman was denied from 20 metres by Männel. Four minutes before the interval, however, the home side could and perhaps should have extended their lead when Krüger picked out Pascal Testroet on the break. The Aue striker pulled the trigger from 12 metres but Himmelmann did brilliantly to stick out a foot and make the block. Dennis Kempe then headed wide from a corner, leaving Luhukay's side to go in at the break two goals down.

Henk Veerman under challenge from Aue's Marko Mihojevic (left) and Philipp Riese (right) on his return to the starting lineup.

Luhukay made one change for the second half, introducing Møller Dæhli for Zehir, but it was the home side who created the first chance following a corner from Nazarov. Krüger won the aerial challenge but directed his header past the left-hand upright. With ten minutes gone, hope returned to the Boys in Brown when Sobota delivered a free-kick in behind the Aue defence and Veerman halved the deficit with a shot from ten metres.

The Dutchman almost added another three minutes later, taking advantage of some confusion in the Aue defence to curl a shot towards the far post from the inside-left channel, only for Männel to dive to his left and palm the ball out for a corner. The ball did find the net three minutes later, but unfortunately it was at the other end. Clemens Fandrich dispatched a low ball into the danger area and Testroet shrugged off the challenge of Lawrence to turn and beat Himmelmann with a crisp drive from ten metres.

In an attempt to turn things round, Luhukay made a double switch, throwing on Finn Ole Becker for Marvin Knoll and Kevin Lankford for Sebastian Ohlsson. Now taking more risks, his team carved out a chance for Veerman, but the big striker was unable to get enough power on Sobota's delivery.

The Boys in Brown kept going and had further chances through Lankford and Becker. Lankford's attempt from just outside the box flew just past the post, while Becker's deflected shot was a bit further away. Himmelmann then had to defuse a shot from substitute Christoph Daferner. That was the last of the action, and our fifth defeat in a row at Aue was complete.

FC Erzgebirge Aue

Männel - Rizzuto, Mihojevic, Gonther, Kempe - Riese, Fandrich, Baumgart, Nazarov (Samson 80'), Krüger (Daferner 84') - Testroet (Zulechner 73')

Head coach: Dirk Schuster

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann - Ohlsson (Lankford 66'), Østigård, Lawrence, Kalla - Zehir (Møller Dæhli 46'), Knoll (Becker 66') - Miyaichi, Sobota, Gyökeres - Veerman

Head coach: Jos Luhukay

Goals: 1-0 Krüger (14'), 2-0 Nazarov (pen. 24'), 2-1 Veerman (56'), 3-1 Testroet (62')

Yellow cards: Riese, Fandrich – Ohlsson

Referee: Markus Schmidt

Attendance: 14,000

Photos: Witters