FC St. Pauli

After a gap of 25 days, the Boys in Brown returned to league action at the Millerntor on Wednesday evening. Head coach Markus Kauczinski made just one change to the side that won 1-0 at Ingolstadt last time out, Dimitrios Diamantakos getting the nod over Henk Veerman up front.

It was the visitors who took charge of the proceedings early on, however, and so it was no surprise when they produced the first shot on goal with ten minutes gone. Philipp Ziereis blocked the initial effort from Bernard Tekpetey and Robin Himmelmann denied Babacar Gueye on the rebound. Steffen Baumgart's side continued to edge the possession and fashioned a number of half-chances without ever really threatening. The Boys in Brown carved out their first opening on 20 minutes, Marvin Knoll testing SCP keeper Leopold Zingerle from 20 metres following a corner.

That was the cue for a flurry of chances at both ends, with the Boys in Brown having the better of them, as when Christopher Buchtmann narrowly missed the target when promisingly placed on 26 and Johannes Flum hit the side netting five minutes later.

Yet just as Markus Kauczinski's charges were enjoying their best spell of the game, Paderborn struck in clinical fashion. Mohamed Dräger scurried through midfield and knocked the ball into the path of Ben Zolinski, who kept his cool and slotted past Himmelmann. The Boys in Brown refused to let their heads drop, however, and delivered the perfect reply just five minutes later. Johannes Flum threaded a superb pass through to Diamantakos and the Greek striker poked the ball though the keeper's legs with his left foot to level.

In a fast-paced first half, Dimitrios Diamantakos cancelled out Ben Zolinski's opener on 37 minutes.

The tempo remained high after the interval. Paderborn may have enjoyed the lion's share of the possession, but the Boys in Brown continued to threaten on the counter. Urged on by a sell-out crowd, Kauczinski's side laid siege to the visitors' goal around the hour mark. Buchtmann chipped a corner to the near post, and in the resulting melee Paderborn defused two efforts from Knoll with last-ditch lunges. At the other end, Tobias Schwede tested Himmelmann first with a fierce drive and then had the keeper back-pedalling to push a bouncing effort over the crossbar.

In the closing stages, both sides pushed forward in search of a winner rather than being content to settle for a point each. But with five minutes left, Gueye was dismissed for a second bookable offence. That was the signal for the Boys in Brown to launch one last onslaught and in the third minute of stoppage time they got their reward, with all three substitutes involved. Ersin Zehir picked out Henk Veerman with an outstanding pass, and the big Dutchman unselfishly offloaded for the onrushing Richard Neudecker to slide the ball into the empty net and send the Millerntor into raptures. What a finale.

FC St. Pauli

Himmelmann – Dudziak, Ziereis, Avevor, Buballa – Flum (Zehir 80'), Knoll – Sahin, Buchtmann, Møller Dæhli (Neudecker 75') – Diamantakos (Veerman 87')

Head coach: Markus Kauczinski

SC Paderborn

Zingerle – Dräger, Schonlau, Strohdiek, Collins – Gjasula (Vasiliadis 80'), Klement – Tekpetey (Antwi-Adjei 68'), Schwede – Zolinski (Ritter 75'), Gueye

Head coach: Steffen Baumgart

Goals: 0-1 Zolinski (32'), 1-1 Diamantakos (37'), 2-1 Neudecker (90'+3)

Yellow cards: Knoll – Schwede, Gjasula, Gueye, Klement

Red card (second yellow): Gueye (persistent foul play 85')

Referee: Sven Waschitzki

Attendance: 29,546 (sold out)

Photos: Witters