Road to the Bundesliga - Boys in Brown clinch promotion as champions
Friday, 28. June 2024, 14:00 Uhr
In the end-of-season run-in the Boys in Brown crowned an outstanding campaign to celebrate the sixth promotion in the club's history. Wins over Hannover and Rostock were followed by the disappointment of defeat in the derby, but that only made the parties after the decisive victory against Osnabrück and the subsequent championship title even more spectacular. Bundesliga, here we come!
Hannover 96 1-2 FC St. Pauli
Matchday 30
With league leaders Kiel and third-placed Düsseldorf having won the day before, the onus was on the Boys in Brown going into the tough away fixture at Hannover 96. Three points were simply a must. In a below-par first-half showing they took the lead a few minutes before the break when Oladapo Afolayan headed home an inch-perfect Connor Metcalfe cross. The joy proved short-lived, however, as Lars Gindorf grabbed an equaliser on the stroke of half-time. After the break, however, the Hürzeler XI stepped up a gear and dominated the proceedings. Midway through the second half, they restored their advantage through a Johannes Eggestein header following a corner straight from the training ground. In the closing stages Nikola Vasilj produced an excellent save to deny Cedric Teuchert and secure a win that closed the gap to Kiel to one point and restored the five-point cushion over Fortuna.
After matchday 30
Position: 2
Points: 60
Lead:
5 points to 3rd place (Düsseldorf)
11 points to 4th place (HSV)
FC St. Pauli 1-0 Hansa Rostock
Matchday 31
The penultimate home game of the season harboured explosive potential, with relegation-haunted Rostock the visitors to the Millerntor. For the Boys in Brown, in contrast, three points on this Friday evening would guarantee them at least third spot and a place in the promotion/relegation play-off. And three points was what they got. In a hard-fought contest the Boys in Brown saw more of the ball, but it was Rostock who fashioned the better chances and the home side had Nikola Vasilj to thank that it was still 0-0 at the break. Thankfully, a Jackson Irvine header shortly after the restart broke the deadlock that gave his side the momentum they needed to seal a narrow yet deserved 1-0 win to leapfrog Kiel at the top. The Storks slipped to surprising 3-1 home defeat to Kaiserslautern, while Düsseldorf also dropped two points in a 1-1 draw at Schalke.
After matchday 31
Position: 1
Points: 63
Lead:
7 points to 3rd place (Düsseldorf)
11 points to 4th place (HSV)
Hamburger SV 1-0 FC St. Pauli
Matchday 32
Going into the derby the Boys in Brown had a golden opportunity to win promotion for the sixth time in the club's history and at the same time dash any remaining hopes their crosstown rivals may have had of going up. Backed by almost 6,000 fans, the Hürzeler XI struggled to get going against a HSV side rich in individual quality, however. The home side had the better chances and scored twice, though both goals were rightly disallowed. It seemed to be heading for a goalless draw until Robert Glatzel gave HSV the lead from a corner in the closing stages. Nikola Vasilj had made a hash of the corner that led to the goal but went some way to making amends when he saved a Ludovit Reis penalty in time added on. It ended 1-0 in favour of our crosstown rivals, though, and Düsseldorf's 3-1 defeat of Nürnberg ensured the promotion shirts remained in the drawer.
After matchday 32
Position: 2
Points: 63
Lead:
5 points to 3rd place (Düsseldorf)
8 points to 4th place (HSV)
FC St. Pauli 3-1 VfL Osnabrück
Matchday 33
Having squandered their first match point at HSV, the Boys in Brown were determined to convert the second against already relegated Osnabrück. And that is exactly what they did! May 12 will go down as the day they secured promotion to the Bundesliga for the sixth time in the club's history. Oladapo Afolayan set his team on the road to victory early on in front of a sell-out crowd at the Millerntor and further goals after the break through Afolayan again and Marcel Hartel made for a pulsating festival of football and set up a gigantic promotion party. Lars Kehl's converted penalty did nothing to change that. The home fans were already climbing over the fences several minutes before the final whistle and when it finally went they rushed onto the field to celebrate. The Bundesliga party continued inside the stadium for several hours - what a day!
After matchday 33
Position: 1
Points: 66
Lead:
1 point to 2nd place (Kiel)
6 points to 3rd place (Düsseldorf)
11 points to 4th place (HSV)
SV Wehen Wiesbaden 1-2 FC St. Pauli
Matchday 34
With promotion already in the bag, the Boys in Brown travelled to relegation-threatened Wehen Wiesbaden determined to get the three points needed to clinch the second division championship at the expense of rivals Kiel. Franko Kovačević gave the home side an early lead to put a dampener on their hopes but the Hürzeler XI came from behind thanks to goals from Andreas Albers and Danel Sinani to put the icing on the cake of an outstanding season by securing the league title.
On the following day more than 10,000 fans gathered to celebrate on Spielbudenplatz. The Boys in Brown had had to settle for a home-made championship shield at Wiesbaden, but on this occasion they were able to lift the real thing.
Photos: FC St. Pauli
