23.07.2022 22:31
What a finish! Jackson Irvine saves St. Pauli a point at Hannover 96 in stoppage time
By Robert Stoll
Hannover – What drama! Of the FC St. Pauli has at feared opponents Hannover 96 im second division-Top game got a 2:2 (1:1) draw.
Lightning start for FC St. Pauli! Born in Hanover, Johannes Eggestein scored the lead after four minutes. © Swen Pförtner/dpa
Johannes Eggestein gave FC St. Pauli the lead in front of 33,600 spectators in the Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena after four turns of the hand. After a supposed handball by Adam Dzwigala, Sebastian Kerk equalized with a penalty in the 33rd minute.
After the break, Derrick Köhn put the Reds ahead with a hammer from 13 meters (70′). In added time, Jackson Irvine equalized for the Kiezkicker (90+5).
96 coach Stefan Leitl made two changes after the 2-1 defeat at 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Havard Nielsen and Fabian Kunze started for Hendrik Weydandt (bank) and Gaël Ondoua (not in the squad).
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St. Pauli coach Timo Schultz saw no reason to change after the 3-2 win at the start of the season over 1. FC Nürnberg and trusted the same starting XI as against the club.
And she made a real dream start! After just four minutes, Eggestein scored the lead. Matanovic extended a long ball from Hartel to the native of Hanover, who accepted the ball with his back to the goal, turned and shot past opponent Köhn into the left corner from around eight meters. What a start!
Incidentally, for Eggestein it was the first booth for the Kiezkicker and the first goal in 433 days. Most recently, he had scored against RB Salzburg (2: 5) in the jersey of Linzer ASK.
Line-up of Hannover 96 for the home game against FC St. Pauli
Starting XI of FC St. Pauli for the away game at Hannover 96
Sebastian Kerk equalizes for Hannover 96 after a questionable penalty
St. Pauli around Manolis Saliakas (r.) had big problems with the left side of 96 around goalscorer Derrick Köhn. © Swen Pförtner/dpa
After another chance by Marcel Hartel (6th), St. Pauli came under more and more pressure. First Nielsen missed from seven yards (8′), a short time later Kerk hit a free kick after a back pass from Leart Paqarada to keeper Dennis Smarsch from close range (12′). Lucky for the guests!
Hannover presented the Schultz-Elf with their left side around Köhn and Maximilian Beier with big problems, but the Reds could not capitalize on it.
After the game had calmed down a bit, referee Felix Zwayer suddenly pointed to the point. Dzwigala is said to have touched a Kerk flank slightly with his arm – a more than questionable decision, which the VAR also confirmed.
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96 professional Kerk grabbed the ball, aimed at the right corner and scored to make it 1-1. As bitter as the hit was, it wasn’t undeserved.
After conceding a goal, St. Pauli became a little more active again, but the Lower Saxony continued to dominate the game and caused one or two dangerous moments in front of the FCSP goal. However, another goal should not fall. So it went into the break with a deserved but questionable 1:1 in the end.
Derrick Köhn puts Hannover 96 in the lead with a dream goal, Jackson Irvine heads the FCSP equaliser
The second division top game was hard fought in the second half. 96 pro Fabian Kunze (2nd from right) tests Igor Matanovic’s jersey (right). © Swen Pförtner/dpa
The second 45 minutes started very competitive with some tough direct duels. With the exception of a Paqarada free-kick that went just over the goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler’s goal, there were hardly any dangerous scenes on either side.
As the game slowly entered the decisive phase, the Reds struck in the person of Köhn. After a long diagonal pass, Manolis Saliakas gave Louis Schaub too much space. The former HSV professional put the ball down and Köhn threw the ball into the far corner to make it 2-1 (70′). Now the comeback qualities of the Kiezkicker were in demand!
After a triple change from coach Schultz, St. Pauli threw everything forward and came to a dangerous conclusion through Luca Zander. But Zieler punched the ball out of the penalty area.
In added time, Köhn had almost made the preliminary decision. The left-back of the 96er put a free kick from 20 meters to the crossbar. When everyone had already come to terms with the result, St. Pauli actually struck. After a Paqarada free-kick, Irvine got the ball and headed in to make it 2-2 (90+5).
After three bankruptcies against 96 in a row, the Kiezkicker once again scored a point against the Reds. The start was successful with four points from two games, but for Hannover it was the first point this season.
In the coming week, the 2nd division will be suspended for the DFB Cup. 96 travels to Schott Mainz, St. Pauli joins SV Straelen.
Cover photo: Swen Pförtner/dpa