FC St. Pauli

Head coach Fabian Hürzeler: "We made a very dominant start, the priority being to cover the counterattack. We wanted to be solid on losing possessing and press them straightaway. In the final third, we weren't resolute enough, though. We kept creating the space to put crosses in but didn't get the maximum number of players in the box and lacked a cutting edge, despite having two or three good chances. At half-time we resolved to be more purposeful in the final third, get more players in the box and have a greater presence, but always with the premise of pressing the ball well. We knew Kaiserslautern can pose a threat in transition and from set plays. Covering the counterattack was important and the lads did a good job. In the run-up to the goal it was brilliant the way Eric knocked the ball in behind for Connor, who again got his reward for a good performance. I'm very pleased with the way we played. I'm happy for the team, they’re improving all the time. We kept another clean sheet today. That will be the foundation in the games to come, no matter who we're playing."

Connor Metcalfe: "We knew what to expect today. We gave it everything we had and held our own. We knew we had to battle. It was a hard-fought game with lots of fouls. It's something of a surprise that no one was sent off. It was a great performance from us today. When Eric got the ball, I knew he was capable of playing the pass. I started my run and Eric hit a perfect ball into my path. Instinctively I went for the far corner. It's either a goal or a corner. I'm very happy and enjoying it. We want to keep working hard and keep the run going. It's still very tight."

Marcel Hartel: "Today, we were determined to keep a clean sheet at all costs. We give our all for that and all fight together. We knew that mentality would be a key factor today, especially against a team that thrives on it. It was a very physical contest, of course, Kaiserslautern are known for that. We gave as good as we got today and deserved to win in the end. Eric's pass was outstanding. I didn't know he had it in him (he laughs). It was an excellent finish from Connor and a deserved goal. We're in great nick at the moment, we're there for each other and leave everything on the pitch. We'll prepare accordingly during the week to make sure we perform the same way against Magdeburg."

Dirk Schuster (Kaiserslautern head coach): "Congratulations to St. Pauli and my fellow coach, who's doing an excellent job going by the three matches. We got a feel of that today. We set out to have a similar physical presence on the pitch but didn’t manage to do that. We weren't convincing enough in what we did. We didn't invest enough in our forward play and came up with the wrong answers. At the other end, we wanted to withstand the opposition pressure. We did that quite well apart from one or two situations. St. Pauli had their opportunities, though, which we survived with a mixture of luck and ability. We changed our system in the first half because we had no grip on the proceedings. We then made another adjustment at half-time but still remained largely anonymous in attack in the second half. We conceded in a phase when we thought the game was calming down. Only after that did we show what we actually set out to do from the opening minute. We had two chances to equalise, but ultimately St. Pauli were worth their win."

Photos: Witters