FC St. Pauli

In perfect football conditions the Boys in Brown began the friendly at Hertha with Ben Voll in goal and Connor Metcalfe in central midfield, the latter's first appearance after almost six months out with injury. Backed by some 300 travelling fans, Alex Blessin's charges had the first chance of the game in the fourth minute when a long-range Fin Stevens effort flew a couple of metres over the crossbar. At the other end, Hertha notched what they thought was the opening goal with their first attack of note on 12 minutes, but Florian Niederlechner was in an offside position from Marten Winkler's ball-in.

In an even contest, neither side was able to find a way through the opposition defence until Hertha threatened from a 22^nd minute corner. Michaël Cuisance dispatched the ball to the near post for Palkó Dárdai to head goalwards, but Ben Voll was on hand to make the save. Seven minutes later Noah Weißhaupt picked up the ball from a free-kick on the left and cut inside at pace before going for goal. The shot took a deflection, and the ball was eventually cleared. The closest any side came to scoring in the first half was in the 37^th minute when Connor Metcalfe met a Scott Banks corner with his head and the ball flew just wide of the target.

Blessin made several changes at the break, including Robert Wagner, making him the second player to return from a lengthy injury absence. Like Metcalfe before him, Wagner came close to scoring in the 54^th minute, narrowly missing the target from 12 metres after Banks had headed on Oladapo Afolayan's cross. As in the first half, neither team was able to gain a real edge, leaving Voll and his opposition counterpart Marius Gersbeck with precious little to do. In the 62^nd minute, Hertha had an opportunity to break following a St. Pauli corner and Marten Winkler was on his way clear until half-time substitute Erik Ahlstrand nipped in to take the ball off his toe.

Shortly after a triple substitution by Blessin two minutes later, Hertha pushed forward again. Niklas Hildebrandt cutting inside from the right and before firing over from the edge of the box. Voll then defused an effort from Boris Lum without any trouble. At the other end, the Boys in Brown almost took the lead on 77 when Hertha failed to cope with a long ball forward and Andreas Albers rifled a shot just past the post. The home side then fashioned a couple of chances for Julius Gottschalk. The first was blocked by Jamal Jonischkeit, the second was saved by Voll just before the end. There was just time for Albers to be denied by Gersbeck from a narrow angle before the final whistle went.

Alexander Blessin: "We had little depth and not many chances in the first half. Hertha pressed well and we gave the ball away a touch too often. We could have had a bit more intensity in our play. All in all, both sides kept a clean sheet, though one or two goals would have been nice for the fans. No one got injured and everyone got some playing time, which was the main thing today. I'm pleased Carlo held out so long and things went well for Connor and Robert. The youth players did a good job as well."

Hertha BSC

Gersbeck - Gechter (Telib 64'), Leistner (Lum 46'), Klemens (Morgenstern 64') - Karbownik (Gottschalk 74'), Demme, Bouchalakis, Winkler - Cuisance (Hildebrandt 46'), Niederlechner, Dárdai (Michelbrink 74')

Head coach: Stefan Leitl

FC St. Pauli

1^st half: Voll - Dźwigała, Wahl, Ritzka - Stevens, Metcalfe, Boukhalfa, Treu - Banks, Eggestein, Weißhaut

2^nd half: Voll - Dźwigała (Hoffmann 74'), Nemeth, Ritzka (Jonischkeit 64') - Saliakas, Wagner, Boukhalfa (Schmidt 64'), Ahlstrand - Banks (Aigbekaen 64'), Albers, Afolayan

Head coach: Alexander Blessin

Referee: Eric Weisbach (Halle an der Saale)

Attendance: approx. 2,500

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters