FC St. Pauli

Head coach Timo Schultz: "The lads were superb, it was end-to-end stuff. We were fortunate to win in the end but maybe we deserved it, too. If you lead four times, you've earned it when all's said and done. We attacked from the off and tried to put Heidenheim under pressure. We repeatedly got the ball down the channels to the frontline, which was what we set out to do. The win gives us added momentum. On the one hand, it was fun to watch because there were lots of goals and chances. On the other, I saw a lot of things at the back where we have to do better. The game is a reflection of our season so far. We put in a huge effort, do a lot of things well, create chances and score goals, but at the back we concede goals that in effect are easy to defend. Last night, I had some problems in the kidney area, but club doctor Volker Carrero gave me good care overnight. It didn't get better, though, so I went to hospital this morning. My thanks go to the doctor there, she looked after me really well. It's probably a kidney stone that's giving me trouble, but I was able to follow the game OK without any pain. It's not a pleasant feeling, as anyone who has had it will know. I expect to undergo further checks on Monday. I'd like to thank my two assistants and everyone connected to the coaching team who took over in my absence this morning and dealt with everything so well. My two assistants were involved in the coaching during the game and did a really good job. Thanks to the medical department as well for getting it sorted today. Finally, I'd like to thank the team. Victory in a game like that really is the best medicine."

Guido Burgstaller: "We started really well again and took a deserved lead. Straightaway we had some good chances to add a second on the break. Instead, it got a bit wild. It went this way and that. Looking at the game in its entirety, I think we deserved to win."

Eric Smith: "It's always to nice to get a win in your first game. It was a tough game, a really strange game, and I'm really happy we got the three points. It was a very important win. Everyone worked hard for each other, it was amazing. I got a kick on the leg and hopefully I'll be ready on Friday again."

Daniel-Kofi Kyereh: "We're all knackered but happy. That wasn't a normal game. It was one of the most intensive matches I've ever been involved in, and the same goes for many in the team. It was just awesome. Before the game we spoke about how important it was to be there for each other and you saw that today. We suffered repeated setbacks but came back superbly, though we can't keep making life difficult for ourselves by conceding so many goals. That said, after taking the lead three times we knew we could do it a fourth time. We kept pushing each other and were there for one another. We deserved to win in the end. I meant the free-kick and I'm glad it came off. We had a setback against Bochum three days ago. The way we deal with setbacks, stay positive and keep going is impressive. We were outstanding today, huge compliments to the team."

Philipp Ziereis: "We're making every game a spectacle at the moment. We all know we shouldn't be conceding three goals every game. We put in a quality performance today and kept going forward after every setback. That's our hallmark at the moment. I'm so proud of the team for the way we've worked and played in the last few games. I think we're on a roll at the moment. We're very fit and worked hard when things weren't going so well. That's paying off now."

Frank Schmidt (Heidenheim head coach): "It's hard to put it in the right order today. Going behind so early was the worst possible start. It played into St. Pauli's hands. We managed to come back, but were dealing with an extremely mobile, agile and pacey St. Pauli frontline from start to finish. We went 2-1 down but came up with the right response immediately after the interval. You could see we wanted to turn the direction of the game completely in our favour, but then we conceded a third time, which made things hard again, and yet we came back again to level at 3-3. It was an open game in the closing stages, as it was throughout, with two teams who got the ball forward. We lacked the necessary calmness a couple of times. When it's 3-3 just before the end, you can't make the kind of mistake we made. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a response at the end."

Photos: Witters