Teams | November 21, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Late win over FC St. Pauli
Late win over FC St. Pauli
Substitute Ben Sahar headed the winner five minutes from full time.
Bundesliga 2 Matchday 14 saw Hertha BSC host FC St. Pauli, at the Olympic stadium in Berlin on Monday night (19.11.12). A headed goal five minutes from full time by substitute Ben Sahar gave the promotion-favourites a narrow but well deserved 1-0 victory. The victory means that Hertha are now 12 games unbeaten - a club record.
Black armbands for Alex Alves
Fabian Holland returned to the team at left back after injury, at the expense of Felix Bastians. John Anthony Brooks also became fit in time to face the Hamburg cult-club. He lined up in central defence alongside swiss ace Fabian Lustenberger. They were the only changes made by Berlin boss Jos Luhukay to the team which hammered Sandhausen 6-1 away last time out. Across the halfway line Florian Kringe was relishing the chance to put one over on his former club. The almost 40,000 strong crowd at the Olympic stadium held a minute's silence before kick off, in tribute to former Hertha striker alex Alves who died earlier in the week. The team wore black armbands in his honour.
Both teams began the game in attacking mood, trying to get forward using as few passes as possible. Both defences were tight during the early stages so they cancelled each other out before any real danger occured. On 6 minutes the visitors threatened first as Fin Bartels some ten metres out got his head to a cross from the left wing. Home keeper Thomas Kraft had no trouble dealing with it. It took a further ten minutes for the home side to put together a useful move of their own. Ronny floated a free kick to the far post where Peer Kluge was lurking. Kluge failed to get enough power or direction behind his header and the ball flew wide of goal. Things became more dangerous for Pauli keeper Philipp Tschauner on 25 minutes, as he was called upon to superbly tip a deflected shot by Marcel Ndjeng around his right hand upright.
Midway through the first half the visitors were content to defend and wait for a chance to hit Hertha on the break. It was hardly surprising then that the home side's best chances came from set pieces, all involving Ronny. The Brazilian sent a long free kick from the centre circle into the Hamburg box. Hertha captain Peter Niemeyer back-headed the ball towards goal but failed to trouble Tschauner (34.). Pauli also looked dangerous at set pieces. Sebastian Schachten headed a pinpoint cross towards the Hertha goal, forcing home stopper Kraft into an excellent save (41.). Ramos then missed promising headers following crosses by Schulz (42.) and Holland (43.). Both times the Columbian was thwarted by Tschauner diving to his right. The game was goalless at the break.
Better late than never
The home side began the second half as they had ended the first - taking the game to St.Pauli. The half was only three minutes old as Hertha launched a lightning quick counter attack, which ended in Ndjeng being denied an opening goal by a save with his right boot by Pauli's man of the match Tschauner. Moments later Kluge fed Ramos with a defence-splitting through ball. The Berlin striker reached the byline and crossed into the box but found no takers (50.). Kraft then needed two attempts to save an effort by Pauli's Akaki Gogia (51.). At the other end a Ronny free kick was cleared for a corner. Niemeyer got his head to that corner only to see Gogia head the ball off the line, with Tschauner beaten for the first time (61.).
All of a sudden misplaced passes crept into Hertha's game. Coach Jos Luhukay reacted by bringing on Ben Sahar and Sandro Wagner for Kluge and Schulz, after Bastians had replaced Holland who was forced off with what looked like a serious shoulder injury. Hertha threw everything forward in an attemt to land the victory which would see them regain second place in the Bundesliga 2 table ahead of Kaiserslautern on goal difference. Berlin's patience finally paid off five minutes from the end as Peter Pekarik produced a wonderful cross to the far post, where substitute Ben Sahar nodded the ball into the Pauli net to give Hertha a slender but well-deserved 1-0 win.
Pekarik clears off the line
Pauli threw caution to the wind and mounted a last-ditch offensive. Kraft turned a Kringe effort around his post. The following corner saw Pekarik clear an effort by Schachten off his own goal line with Kraft beaten. Hertha held on to their one goal lead. Next Sunday (25.11.12) Luhukay and Co. travel to FC Erzgebirge Aue on matchday 15.
Black armbands for Alex Alves
Fabian Holland returned to the team at left back after injury, at the expense of Felix Bastians. John Anthony Brooks also became fit in time to face the Hamburg cult-club. He lined up in central defence alongside swiss ace Fabian Lustenberger. They were the only changes made by Berlin boss Jos Luhukay to the team which hammered Sandhausen 6-1 away last time out. Across the halfway line Florian Kringe was relishing the chance to put one over on his former club. The almost 40,000 strong crowd at the Olympic stadium held a minute's silence before kick off, in tribute to former Hertha striker alex Alves who died earlier in the week. The team wore black armbands in his honour.
Both teams began the game in attacking mood, trying to get forward using as few passes as possible. Both defences were tight during the early stages so they cancelled each other out before any real danger occured. On 6 minutes the visitors threatened first as Fin Bartels some ten metres out got his head to a cross from the left wing. Home keeper Thomas Kraft had no trouble dealing with it. It took a further ten minutes for the home side to put together a useful move of their own. Ronny floated a free kick to the far post where Peer Kluge was lurking. Kluge failed to get enough power or direction behind his header and the ball flew wide of goal. Things became more dangerous for Pauli keeper Philipp Tschauner on 25 minutes, as he was called upon to superbly tip a deflected shot by Marcel Ndjeng around his right hand upright.
Midway through the first half the visitors were content to defend and wait for a chance to hit Hertha on the break. It was hardly surprising then that the home side's best chances came from set pieces, all involving Ronny. The Brazilian sent a long free kick from the centre circle into the Hamburg box. Hertha captain Peter Niemeyer back-headed the ball towards goal but failed to trouble Tschauner (34.). Pauli also looked dangerous at set pieces. Sebastian Schachten headed a pinpoint cross towards the Hertha goal, forcing home stopper Kraft into an excellent save (41.). Ramos then missed promising headers following crosses by Schulz (42.) and Holland (43.). Both times the Columbian was thwarted by Tschauner diving to his right. The game was goalless at the break.
Better late than never
The home side began the second half as they had ended the first - taking the game to St.Pauli. The half was only three minutes old as Hertha launched a lightning quick counter attack, which ended in Ndjeng being denied an opening goal by a save with his right boot by Pauli's man of the match Tschauner. Moments later Kluge fed Ramos with a defence-splitting through ball. The Berlin striker reached the byline and crossed into the box but found no takers (50.). Kraft then needed two attempts to save an effort by Pauli's Akaki Gogia (51.). At the other end a Ronny free kick was cleared for a corner. Niemeyer got his head to that corner only to see Gogia head the ball off the line, with Tschauner beaten for the first time (61.).
All of a sudden misplaced passes crept into Hertha's game. Coach Jos Luhukay reacted by bringing on Ben Sahar and Sandro Wagner for Kluge and Schulz, after Bastians had replaced Holland who was forced off with what looked like a serious shoulder injury. Hertha threw everything forward in an attemt to land the victory which would see them regain second place in the Bundesliga 2 table ahead of Kaiserslautern on goal difference. Berlin's patience finally paid off five minutes from the end as Peter Pekarik produced a wonderful cross to the far post, where substitute Ben Sahar nodded the ball into the Pauli net to give Hertha a slender but well-deserved 1-0 win.
Pekarik clears off the line
Pauli threw caution to the wind and mounted a last-ditch offensive. Kraft turned a Kringe effort around his post. The following corner saw Pekarik clear an effort by Schachten off his own goal line with Kraft beaten. Hertha held on to their one goal lead. Next Sunday (25.11.12) Luhukay and Co. travel to FC Erzgebirge Aue on matchday 15.