FC St. Pauli

After the 1-0 home defeat of Hansa Rostock last week that made it five wins in a row, head coach Fabian Hürzeler saw no reason to make any changes for the trip to fourth-placed SC Paderborn 07. His opposite number, Lukas Kwasniok, whose team have also started well (four wins, one draw), was without several first-team regulars. He made three adjustments to the side that drew 1-1 at Holstein Kiel.

With the raucous backing of 2,400 travelling fans, the Boys in Brown created the first half-chance in the fifth minute after the two sides had had a quick look at each other, but Lukas Daschner headed a Manolis Saliakas cross well over. A few minutes later, a deflected long-range effort from Leart Paqarada was no trouble for Paderborn keeper Jannik Huth. At the other end, Kai Klefisch headed well over from a corner. Both teams continued to push forward but lacked punch and precision in the final third.

Daschner was bang on target on the quarter-hour, however. From a throw-in on the right, Marcel Hartel passed to Connor Metcalfe in the middle and he teed up Daschner, who was surrounded by several opponents. The utility forward created space for himself on the edge of the penalty area with a neat move and a bit of luck - the ball came back to him off an opponent – and he struck a low drive into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box to open the scoring.

A couple of minutes later Paderborn advanced up the pitch and Sirlord Conteh was given the space to shoot from 20 metres, but Nikola Vasilj got down quickly to turn the ball around the left-hand post (17.). Otherwise, the Hürzeler team were rock solid at the back and gave virtually nothing away. But then Conteh was allowed to cross unhindered from the left and find the unmarked Tobias Müller in the middle. The defender directed the  ball well wide of the target, however. Back at the other end, Hartel launched an attack in his own half and then had the chance to make it 2-0 after playing a one-two with Metcalfe, but from nine metres out he was denied by a good reaction save from Huth.

The game ebbed and flowed in the closing stages of the first half and the home side came very close to levelling the scores in the 37th minute when Bashir Humphreys climbed highest from a corner and headed the ball against the crossbar. Then, Metcalfe was presented with an opportunity to add a second after a great pass from Daschner on the counterattack, but he fired well over from the edge of the area. After Klefisch had failed to beat Vasilj from range on 39, Oladapo Afolayan burst into the box from the left and unloaded, only for Huth to make a fine save. There was nothing Huth could do soon after, however. The Boys in Brown broke quickly and Saliakas knocked a textbook pass into the middle to Daschner, who converted off the inside of the far post from eight metres to make it 2-0. That's how it remained at the break.

With 15 minutes gone, Lukas Daschner sees off the challenge of several Paderborn defenders before opening the scoring moments later.

Hürzeler sent out an unchanged side for the second 45, with Paderborn introducing another attacking player in Florent Muslija for Marcel Hoffmeier. The hosts stepped up the pressure in a bid to ward off the impending home defeat. Eric Smith was able to block a shot by Muslija in the 49th minute, but less than 60 seconds later Muslija was given too much space. His shot bounced in front of Vasilj, who parried the ball at an angle. Unfortunately, the ball struck Karol Mets and rebounded over the line to halve the deficit.

Paderborn came forward again eight minutes later when Conteh knocked the ball to his right to the advancing Marco Schuster in the penalty area, but his powerfully struck shot flew over the top. The Boys in Brown fashioned their first decent chance of the half with just over an hour gone when Afolayan powered his way inside from the byeline and let fly, but Huth was on hand to make the save. Kwasniok made two more changes shortly afterwards, reinforcing his attack with the addition of Denis Srbeny and Niclas Nadj. Vasilj was called into action moments later when possession was lost just outside the penalty area and Muslija tried to chip him from ten metres. The keeper was having none of it, though, and it remained 2-1. Hürzeler made his first change a couple of minutes later, Maurides replacing Connor Metcalfe.

Substitute Niclas Nadj then had the chance to equalise when a Richmond Tachie cross was allowed to pass through the box, but the former St. Pauli Under-23 man hit the side netting with his shot. Within 60 seconds, Srbeny was denied by Vasilj from distance, and then Jakov Medić was faster to the rebound than Nadj. After a lively few minutes in which Conteh, who had already been subbed off, was booked and then immediately shown a second yellow followed by a red, the game entered the closing stages, for which Hürzeler elected to bolster his defence by throwing on Betim Fazliji for Oladapo Afolayan on 81.

Paderborn continued to probe in a desperate attempt to conjure up an equaliser and in injury time Srbeny was presented with a great chance to restore parity from an assist by Uwe Hünemeier, only to head just wide from six metres. That was the last of the action, leaving the Boys in Brown to celebrate their sixth win in succession.

SC Paderborn 07

Huth - Heuer (Hünemeier 77'), Müller, Humphreys - Hoffmeier (Muslija 46'), Klefisch, Rohr, Schuster (Nadj 65') - Justvan - Conteh (Srbeny 65'), Tachie (Kojić 84')

Head coach: Lukas Kwasniok

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Medić, Smith, Mets - Saliakas, Hartel, Irvine, Paqarada - Afolayan (Fazliji 81'), Daschner (Otto 90'), Metcalfe (Maurides 69')

Head coach: Fabian Hürzeler

Goals: 0-1 Daschner (15'), 0-2 Daschner (42'), 1-2 Mets (own goal 50')

Yellow cards: Nadj, Muslija - Irvine, Vasilj

Incidents of note: After being subbed off, Conteh first receives a yellow card for dissent and then, seconds later, a red card for unsportsmanlike conduct (76')

Referee: Arne Aarnink (Nordhorn)

Attendance: 15,000 (sold out)

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters