FC St. Pauli

With five players on international duty and several others sidelined, head coach took a depleted squad to second-division Hannover 96. The absence of all four keepers saw Under-23 custodian Ronny Seibt get an opportunity between the posts.

The Boys in Brown fashioned the first chance early on, Scott Banks and Morgan Guilavogui moving the ball forward quickly for Oladapo Afolayan to unload from outside the box, but Hannover keeper Leo Weinkauf got down low to his left to turn the ball round the post. The home side edged the possession but struggled to find a way through the compact St. Pauli rearguard, and midway through the half the Blessin XI almost took the lead when Guilavogui knocked the ball across to the advancing Banks, whose shot flew a whisker past the upright.

After Andreas Voglsammer had headed wide for the hosts, the Boys in Brown opened the scoring, and what a fine goal it was. Banks embarked on a run inside his own half and after playing a one-two with Johannes Eggestein just beyond the halfway line he cut inside from the right and fired a shot into the bottom right corner from just inside the area. Hannover finished the half the stronger, however, and Seibt was powerless to stop a bullet header from Voglsammer to make it 1-1 seven minutes before the break.

David Nemeth (right) holds off a challenge from Håvard Nielsen.

Blessin introduced Andreas Albers and Erik Ahlstrand for the second half along with Under-23 players Emil Staugaard and Jannis Turtschan, and Ahlstrand had a great chance to restore the advantage just 18 seconds in when he collected a square ball from Guilavogui, only to be denied by a fine reaction save from Weinkauf. Instead of finding themselves ahead, the Boys in Brown went behind in the 49^th minute. Fabian Kunze hit a through ball to Voglsammer, who slotted past Seibt from 12 metres. The Boys in Brown hit back almost immediately, however, Marwin Schmitz dispossessing Kunze just outside the box and Banks pouncing on the loose ball to convert into the far corner.

Banks almost completed a hat-trick three minutes later but was denied by another fine save from Weinkauf, and Hannover went straight up the field to take the lead again through substitute Monju Momuluh. Maurides and Tom Politz of the Under-19s entered the fray, and after a lull in the proceedings the former knocked the ball back for the latter, whose attempt from range flew wide of the right-hand post.

With the game entering the final quarter of an hour, Max Herrmann of the Under-23s and Under-19 players Julien Yanda and Farid Maboa Dibamba took the field to see Ahlstrand pull the trigger from distance twice in 60 seconds, but Weinkauf was alert to the danger on both occasions. The Boys in Brown pressed for an equaliser, but it wasn't to be.

Alexander Blessin: "I thought we started very well. We were stable, won the ball well on several occasions and had the better chances. And in the second half I have to say we missed some huge opportunities. The way we created them was good to watch, though. The lads who came on did well. If you look at the chances, we could have won it, but we gave away two goals carelessly at the back because we lost our shape. I'm delighted for Scott. We saw the quality he has. We'll take a few positives from the game. It was important to come away with no injuries and give the young lads some match practice."

Hannover 96

Weinkauf - Dehm, Knight, Wallner (Uhlmann 46'), Ezeh (Wdowik 76') - Lee (Oudenne 46'), Kunze (Chakroun 69'), Rochelt (Momuluh 46'), Gindorf - Nielsen, Voglsammer

Head coach: Stefan Leitl

FC St. Pauli

Seibt - Saliakas (Turtschan 46'), Wahl (Staugaard 46'), Nemeth (Maboa Dibamba 75'), Ritzka (Yanda 75') - Banks (Politz 61'), Schmitz, Wagner (Herrmann 75'), Afolayan (Ahlstrand 46') - Eggestein (Albers 46'), Guilavogui (Maurides 61')

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Goals: 0-1 Banks (29'), 1-1 Voglsammer (38'), 2-1 Voglsammer (49'), 2-2 Banks (51'), 3-2 Momuluh (54')

Yellow cards: Schmitz, Wagner

Referee: Marius Schlüwe (Laatzen)

Photos: FC St. Pauli