FC St. Pauli

Head coach Fabian Hürzeler had to change his starting lineup for the first time in five outings for the match of the day at FC Heidenheim. Eric Smith was unable to make the long trip south due to a hip flexor problem and was replaced by Adam Dźwigała. Veteran coach Frank Schmidt made one change to the Heidenheim side that drew 2-2 at FC Kaiserslautern last time out, Denis Thomalla coming in for Kevin Sessa. Both teams began determined to take all three points, of course. A tenth win in a row would see the Boys in Brown close the gap to the home side to four points, whereas Heidenheim, unbeaten in seven and a force to be reckoned with on their own ground, were looking to reclaim second place with a victory.

The 2,000 or so travelling St. Pauli fans created a fantastic atmosphere at a packed Voith Arena well before the kick-off. It was a high-intensity affair from the off, with both teams focusing on keeping things tight at the back. The first half-chance fell to the home side in the eighth minute when Jan-Niklas Beste headed wide of the right-hand post from 14 metres following a throw-in. A little later, Manolis Saliakas crossed from the right to Oladapo Afolayan in the box. He headed the ball into the middle, but Marcel Hartel was a good metre short of reaching it. The Boys in Brown continued to press, and Afolayan teed up Connor Metcalfe to shoot from 20 metres. His shot was too central, however, and posed no problem for Heidenheim keeper Kevin Müller.

At the other end, Nikola Vasilj gathered a deflected long-range effort from Marnon Busch at the second attempt on 23 minutes. Shortly after that, Tim Kleindienst cut inside from the left and squared the ball to Denis Thomalla, but he failed to connect properly and screwed his shot wide. Kleindienst went much closer a few minutes later with a diving header from a Jonas Föhrenbach cross that flew a whisker past the left-hand upright. That was close. Kleindienst had another opportunity almost immediately when the Hürzeler XI lost possession in their own half. This time he blazed a shot high and wide from 22 metres.

In the 34^th minute the Boys in Brown were gifted a golden opportunity to open the scoring when Müller knocked a ball out straight to Lukas Daschner, who wasted no time getting a shot off, but the Heidenheim keeper atoned for his error by deflecting the midfielder’s attempted nutmeg away from the goal. There was nothing he could do four minutes before the interval, however. A Leart Paqarada throw-in from the left found Hartel, who had slipped his marker, Marnon Busch, with a sudden turn of pace, and the midfield dynamo hammered the ball into the top corner from 15 metres. Müller got a hand to it but was powerless to prevent it going in. What a strike from Hartel to send his side in a goal to the good at the break!

Marcel Hartel pulls the trigger in the 41st minute. Heidenheim’s Marnon Busch arrives too late and moments later the ball flies into the top corner.

Both teams emerged unchanged for the second half. Adam Dźwigała had been masterful at the back to this point yet it was he who had the first chance from a Paqarada corner. His shot flew way over the top. The home side stepped up the pressure but struggled to find a way through the well-marshalled St. Pauli defence. And when the Hürzeler XI did make a mistake in the build-up, they worked as a team to make amends and prevent Heidenheim from capitalising.

Frank Schmidt’s side had by far the best home record this season going into the game, with ten wins and three draws, and began to dominate the possession, but the Boys in Brown kept them at bay with some resolute tackling. Then, Heidenheim won the ball on the left and Beste knocked it to Kleindienst in the box. Thankfully, his angled drive from 14 metres was turned round the post by Vasilj. Schmidt responded by introducing Stefan Schimmer and Kevin Sessa for Tim Siersleben and Denis Thomalla and switching from a back four to a back three, thus strengthening his attack. Sessa slotted in well and whipped in a low ball from the right within minutes of coming on. The onrushing Beste got on the end of it, and his effort flew just wide.

Hürzeler made his first change soon after, David Otto replacing Connor Metcalfe. Otto almost made his mark immediately when he burst towards goal after Heidenheim had lost possession in midfield, skipping past Patrick Mainka and pulling the trigger from the edge of the D, only to see the ball smash against the crossbar. Luca Zander and Afeez Aremu then came on to bolster the defence in the closing stages, Oladapo Afolayan and Manolis Saliakas the men to make way.

Heidenheim huffed and puffed in a bid to ward off their first home defeat this season but were unable to find a way through. The Boys in Brown capped an outstanding defensive performance by seeing the game out to celebrate their tenth win in a row. The margin of victory could even have been higher, but Otto was denied by Müller just before the final whistle.

FC Heidenheim

Müller - Busch (Keller 90’), Mainka, Siersleben (Schimmer 70’), Föhrenbach - Maloney - Pick (Kühlwetter 87’), Schöppner (Burnić 87’), Thomalla (Sessa 70’), Beste - Kleindienst

Head coach: Frank Schmidt

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Dźwigała, Medić, Mets - Saliakas (Zander 83’), Irvine, Hartel, Paqarada - Metcalfe (Otto 74’), Daschner (Beifus 90’+2), Afolayan (Aremu 83’)

Head coach: Fabian Hürzeler

Goals: 0-1 Hartel (41’)

Yellow cards: Busch, Kleindienst – Metcalfe, Otto

Referee: Christian Dingert (Burglichtenberg)

Attendance: 15,000 (sold out)

Photos: Witters