FC St. Pauli

Head coach Fabian Hürzeler saw no reason to rejig his lineup after the 2-0 home defeat of Hannover 96 but did make two changes on the bench, Afeez Aremu and Maurides Roque Junior replacing Betim Fazliji and Carlo Boukhalfa. FCK coach Dirk Schuster opted for two adjustments after the 2-1 home win against Holstein Kiel. Nicolai Rapp came in for Boris Tomiak (suspended), while Erik Durm began in place of Hendrik Zuck.

Before the game kicked off at a packed Millerntor Stadium, both teams and their supporters honoured the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria with a minute's silence. It was cut and thrust from the off between the Boys in Brown, unbeaten at home in eleven matches, and the Red Devils, who had yet to lose on the road this term. Jackson Irvine registered the first half-chance of the game two minutes in following a Leart Paqarada free-kick. His header posed few problems for FCK keeper Andreas Luthe, however. There were then claims for a penalty from the visitors, but Irvine's challenge on Kenny Prince Redondo was ruled to be a fair one. At the other end, Paqarada tried his luck from 25 metres, only to see Luthe gather safely.

A bright start to the game, then, with both sides taking the game to each other. The Boys in Brown enjoyed more of the possession and moved the ball around well, but were unable to find a decisive gap in the deep Lautern defence. The visitors, for their part, repeatedly looked to switch the play quickly without any end result. With both defences performing commendably, there were no chances of note at either end. In the 32nd minute, Marcel Hartel was allowed to cross unchallenged from the right and picked out Lukas Daschner in the penalty area. His header from ten metres flew well wide of the FCK goal, however.

Hartel pulled the trigger himself from 25 metres a little later, but like Daschner before him his aim was wayward. Then, just before the break, the Hürzeler XI carved out two chances in quick succession. First, Manolis Saliakas fed Oladapo Afolayan in the penalty area and he stood the ball up perfectly crossed for the onrushing Hartel, whose header fizzed a good metre over the goal. Moments later, Irvine arrowed a cross-cum-shot just wide of the far post from the right. Nikola Vasilj was first called upon in time added on when he turned an Aaron Opoku shot from a tight angle around the left-hand upright, ensuring the two teams went in all square at the break.

Lukas Daschner under challenge from three Kaiserslautern players.

Hürzeler sent out an unchanged side for the second half, with Marlon Ritter replacing Daniel Hanslik for the visitors. The Boys in Brown hit the ground running, dominating the proceedings and creating a string of chances. In the 52^nd minute, Saliakas took a quick free-kick to Paqarada, who teed himself up before shooting from almost 30 metres out. Kevin Kraus got a head to it, however, to send it flashing wide of the left-hand upright with Luthe going the wrong way. Saliakas then had a go from distance, but his shot cleared the crossbar. Next, a fine move down the right involving Saliakas and Metcalfe ended with the ball coming to Irvine in the penalty area, who slid in to pick out Daschner with a cutback. The midfielder met the cross first time but whacked the ball just over the crossbar from six metres out. Just 60 seconds later, Paqarada hit the side-netting from the left edge of the box.

Neither side shirked the challenges in a high-intensity second period, as evidenced by the nine cautions since the restart. The Hürzeler XI team continued to dominate and create more chances. On 66, Metcalfe found no takers in the middle after playing a fine one-two with Afolayan, and then Saliakas had a shot blocked.

The game eventually turned on a moment of genius from defender Eric Smith, who knocked the ball over the top of the FCK defence straight into the path of Metcalfe. The Australian had timed his run impeccably and steered a low shot beyond Luthe into the far corner from the right channel to finally break the deadlock on 72! Just two minutes later, Terrence Boyd, who had been anonymous until then, was left unmarked and had a great chance to level from a Redondo cross. Fortunately, he didn't connect properly and the ball bounced over the top.

Six months later, goalscorer Metcalfe was given the rest of the afternoon off and made way for Maurides Roque Junior. The Red Devils stepped up their attacking efforts but the Boys in Brown defended with passion to great effect. With three minutes of normal time left, Saliakas cleared a Rapp header off the line from a corner and then Jakov Medić blocked Lex Tyger Lobinger's rebound effort. That proved to be the last of the action, leaving the Boys in Brown to celebrate their third win on the bounce. For the visitors, it was the first defeat on the road this season.

FC St. Pauli

Vasilj - Medić, Smith, Mets - Saliakas, Hartel, Irvine, Paqarada - Afolayan (Matanović 88'), Daschner (Otto 90'+1), Metcalfe (Maurides Roque Junior 80')

Head coach: Fabian Hürzeler

 FC Kaiserslautern

Luthe - Zimmer, Kraus, Bormuth, Durm - Niehues (Hercher 59'), Rapp - Opoku (Zolinski 59'), Hanslik (Ritter 46'), Redondo (Lobinger 76') - Boyd (De Preville 80')

Head coach: Dirk Schuster

Goals: 1-0 Metcalfe (72')

Yellow cards: Smith, Saliakas, Afolayan, Matanović, Maurides Roque Junior – Rapp, Opoku, Kraus, Zolinski, Durm, Ritter

Referee: Martin Petersen (Stuttgart)

Attendance: 29,456 (sold out)

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters