FC St. Pauli

After a decent performance last time out despite the 1-0 defeat against VfL Osnabrück, head coach Timo Schultz made just one change to the starting lineup, Maximilian Dittgen slotting in for Finn Ole Becker. The home side featured three changes compared with the 4-0 defeat at Darmstadt: Jasmin Fejciz replaced Felix Dornebusch in goal, while Lasse Schlüter and Martin Kobylanski started in place of Manuel Schwenk and Michael Schultz.

The game took on added importance, as whoever won it would open up a gap on their rivals and create some breathing space at the bottom end of the table. But having already falling behind early against Darmstadt last week, the home side made another bad start when the Boys in Brown opened the scoring through Dittgen on their first attack of the game. Kofi Kyereh released the winger on the break and he struck an angled low drive into the bottom-right corner of the goal. With Dittgen having gone three games without a goal, that was the first negative run put to an end.

With the exception of the goal, it was a scrappy affair in the opening stages, with both sides struggling to get going. A series of niggling fouls did nothing to help the flow of play either. Tellingly, St. Pauli's next chance was a free-kick that Rodrigo Zalazar curled over the top in the 20th minute. A wayward finish by Felix Kroos on 23 was the only attacking action of note from the home side in this phase of the game, while at the other end a Kyereh shot four minutes later looked goalbound until it was deflected for a corner. Timo Schultz had reason to be pleased with a focused defensive performance in the first half, but his side threatened only rarely up front. All in all, however, the Boys in Brown were well worth their narrow lead at the break.

The second half began with both teams unchanged, though Braunschweig's Benjamin Kessel had been forced off by an injury just before the interval and replaced by Robin Ziegele. In a second half light on entertainment, Lukas Daschner came on for Kyereh in the 52nd minute, but it remained a low-quality affair and when Bär eventually grabbed an equaliser on 67, it came completely out of the blue. Nick Proschwitz flicked on a long ball into the penalty area, where Bär was able to guide it over the onrushing Robin Himmelmann. There was almost a carbon copy of the goal just two minutes later, but this time Bär's lob lacked precision.

The goal lifted the home side, who stepped up the pressure and carved out another opportunity on 72 in the shape of a Kobylanski free-kick. The Boys in Brown, for whom Igor Matanovic came on for Simon Makienok, produced little in the way of attacking ideas and it was to get even worse eight minutes from time when substitute Fabio Kaufmann latched onto a pass from Danilo Wiebe to finish past Himmelmann and make it 2-1. Schultz introduced fresh legs in Finn Ole Becker, Borys Tashchy and Leart Paqarada for the closing stages, and suddenly his side rediscovered their attacking verve. Matanovic, Becker and Tashchy all had chances in quick succession but were left frustrated, particularly when Fejzic produced an excellent save to deny Becker. Ultimately, however, the late rally proved in vain and the Boys in Brown slipped to their fourth defeat in succession.

Eintracht Braunschweig

Fejzic - Kessel (Ziegele 45'), Wydra, Nikolaou - Kammerbauer, Kroos - Wiebe, Kobylanski (Ben Balla 90'+2), Schlüter - Bär (Kaufmann 79'), Proschwitz

Head coach: Daniel Meyer

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann - Ohlsson, Ziereis, Lawrence, Buballa (Paqarada 84') - Lankford (Tashchy 84'), Benatelli, Zalazar, Dittgen (Becker 84') - Kyereh (Daschner 52'), Makienok (Matanovic 73')

Head coach: Timo Schultz

Goals: 0-1 Dittgen (2'), 1-1 Bär (67'), 2-1 Kaufmann (82')

Yellow cards: Nikolaou, Wiebe, Kessel - Benatelli

Referee: Timo Gerach (Landau)

Photos: Witters