English attacker Dapo Afolayan struck his first goal in St Pauli colours to help the hosts set a new club record of seven straight wins as they came from behind to beat the 10 men of Greuther Fürth.

St. Pauli 2-1 Greuther Fürth
Goals: 0-1 Ache (6'), 1-1 Saliakas (13'), 2-1 Afolayan (55')
Red card: Jung 45'

The hosts were the in-form team going into this encounter, Fabian Hürzeler’s side winning six on the bounce as part of an eight-game unbeaten streak. Yet Fürth have been enjoying a revival of their own under Alexander Zorniger and they produced an opening to this game that left the majority inside the Millerntor stunned. After just six minutes, Ragnar Ache converted Gideon Jung’s headed knock-down from close range. Gideon Jung angled the ball into the net shortly afterwards but the hosts relief, the Fürth forward was inches offside. Finally revived from their early-game slumber, the Kiezkicker built their first attack of the game not long before the quarter hour. Oladapo Afolayan muscled his way through the middle before freeing Jackson Irvine, the Australian then spreading for Manolis Saliakas who expertly found the corner of the net. The game took one more dramatic turn as the first half neared an end when Jung was sent off after losing possession and then denying Lukas Daschner a run through on goals.

With the man advantage, the Boys in Brown burst out of the blocks hungry for the lead, Daschner shooting wide after running through on the right. The hosts were still prone to some sloppy passing, however, and a loose backpass gave Ache a sight of goal which Nikola Vasilj did well to block. Their energy levels waning as the half progressed, Fürth eventually fell behind. With Connor Metcalfe and Oussama Haddadi jumping for a flighted pass into the area, the latter made contact but looked on in despair as his header landed onto the boot of Afolayan, who volleyed in his first for Pauli. The goal would prove the winner for the jubilant hosts, whose hopes - albeit faint - of a promotion push remain alive.

Match stats

• Pauli have now won seven league games in a row for the first time in their history as Hürzeler continued his perfect start at the helm.
• Jackson Irvine laid on his first assist of 2022/23. The Australian has scored five times this season.
• Saliakas netted his second goal of the season. His first came five months ago against Eintracht Braunschweig.
• Jung was sent off for a second time this term. The Fürth defender was shown two yellows against Darmstadt on Matchday 17.
• Winter arrival Afolayan scored his first goal in Pauli colours.
• Pauli were 10 home games without a win against Fürth, but have since won five of their last seven.

Teams

Pauli: Vasilj – Medic, Smith, Mets – Saliakas (Dzwigala 88'), Irvine (c), Hartel, Paqarada – Metcalfe (Fazliji 86'), Daschner, Afolayan (Maurides 72')
Unused subs: Burchert, Ritzka, Wieckhoff, Aremu, Eggestein, Otto
Out: Amenyido (adductor), Avevor (ankle), Matanovic (shoulder), Nemeth (pubitis)
Coach: Fabian Hürzeler

Fürth: Linde – Griesbeck, Jung, Haddadi (Green 64') – Asta, Petkov (Michalski 46'), Christiansen, John – Raschl – Sieb, Hrgota (c) (Sieb 81')
Unused subs: Schaffran, Itter, Meyerhöfer, Dietz, Abiama, Pululu
Out: Angleberger (muscular), Kehr (cruciate ligament)
Coach: Alexander Zorniger

Matchday 24 roundup

Karlsruhe 4-2 Hamburg
Goals: 1-0 Nebel (11'), 2-0 Jensen (17'), 3-0 Schleusener (32'), 3-1 Glatzel (50'), 3-2 Glatzel (80'), 4-2 Schleusener (89')
Red card: Montero (87')

With both Darmstadt and Heidenheim dropping points before Hamburg travelled to Kalrsruhe on Sunday, HSV knew victory would see them end the weekend in top spot. But those hopes were soon dashed as Karlsruhe raced into an early two-goal lead. First Paul Nebel was on target with only 11 minutes on the clock, before Leon Jensen added a second seven minutes later. Jensen almost added a third soon after, but the visitors were relieved to see the Karlsruhe man's effort land to safety after rattling the crossbar. Fabian Schleusener wouldn't be denied a third before the break, however, to leave the promotion-chasing visitors reeling. Robert Glatzel did pull two back in the second half, but they proved to only be consolation efforts once Francisco Montero saw red and Schleusener added a late fourth.

Watch: Karlsruhe 4-2 Hamburg - highlights

Kaiserslautern 2-2 Sandhausen
Goals: 0-1 Kutucu 8', 1-1 Tomiak 35', 2-1 Kraus (pen.) 76', 2-2 Evina 80'

Relegation-threatened Sandhausen burst out of the blocks to the surprise of promotion hopefuls Slautern, the visitors taking the lead in the eighth minute following a fine solo effort from Ahmed Kutucu. The Red Devils rallied, however, and pulled level ten minutes before half time thanks to a Boris Tomiak goal that survived a referee check. When substitute Hamadi Al Ghaddioui was adjudged to have handled in his own box in the second half, Dirk Schuster's team were awarded a penalty, which Kevin Kraus converted to edge the home side in front. Yet Sandhausen weren't to be denied with Franck Evina profiting from a Chima Okoroji corner to score the equalising goal as a substitute for a second successive week.

Nuremberg 2-0 Eintracht Braunschweig
Goals: 1-0 Hübner 69', 2-0 Gyamerah 82'

Der Club secured a big three points that propel them away from the danger zone and put daylight between themselves and opponents Braunschweig, who remain precariously placed in Germany's second tier. A largely underwhelming game at the Max-Morlock-Stadion was brought to life in the second half when Florian Hübner scored from a free kick. Jan Gyamerah's subsequent run and shot to the corner settled the contest with eight minutes remaining.

Arminia Bielefeld 3-1 Darmstadt
Goals: 0-1 Honsak 54', 1-1 Prietl 72' 2-1 Kanuric 90'+1, 3-1 Klos 90'+4

Bielefeld came from behind, scoring three goals in the final 20 minutes, to beat league leaders Darmstadt on Saturday afternoon. The visitors were looking to return to winning ways after suffering their first league defeat of 2023 against Heidenheim last time out, and they took the lead shortly after the interval when Mathias Honsak made the hosts pay for a defensive mistake. However, Manuel Prietl headed in a corner to level the scores, before Benjamin Kanuric fired in from outside the area to give Die Arminen the lead in injury-time. Bielefeld's record goalscorer Fabian Klos confirmed the victory soon after as his side move out of the bottom three.

Magdeburg 0-0 Paderborn

Paderborn failed to win for a third consecutive Bundesliga 2 game as they were held to a goalless draw by mid-table Magdeburg. There were numerous chances for either side to pick up all three points but, ultimately, neither could produce the clinical touch needed. The away side remain seven points away from Heidenheim in the relegation play-off as a result, having been unable to put any pressure on the trio of teams above them in the table.

Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-1 Heidenheim
Goals: 0-1 Kleindienst (20'), 1-1 Iyoha (27')
Red card: Thomalla (77')

Heidenheim had the chance to end Saturday night top of the table and were on course to do so when the league's top scorer, Tim Kleindienst, nipped in at the back post to head home his 16th goal of the campaign after just 20 minutes. But the hosts were level inside seven minutes of going behind, through Emmanuel Iyoha. Michal Karbownik had raced to the byline before pulling back to the Nigerian striker, who lashed home on his left foot to restore parity. Denis Thomalla's sending off with less than quarter of an hour to play threatened to see Heidenheim well and truly miss their chance, but the 10-man visitors eventually settled for a point.

Hannover 1-1 Hansa Rostock
Goals: 0-1 Dressel (44'), 1-1 Besuschkow (61')

The hosts had the ball in the back of the net after just eight minutes as Maximilian Beier volleyed home Max Besuschkow's superb ball over the top, but their celebrations were ultimately cut short by VAR, which spotted a foul in the build-up. And, on the stroke of half-time, they found themselves behind as Dennis Dressel's stunner put Hansa in front. On the hour mark, Hannover finally found their breakthrough - Besuschkow scoring in the league for the first time this season to make it 1-1. Beier had a second goal disallowed four minutes later and both sides would ultimately settle for a point.

Holstein Kiel 1-2 Jahn Regensburg
Goals: 0-1 Caliskaner (45'), 1-1  Skrzybski (45'+4), 1-2 Osei Owusu (87')

Two goals on the brink of half time brought this game to life, as first Kiel opened the scoring with 45 minutes played and then Regensburg hit back in first half injury-time. Kaan Caliskaner was the man who appeared to have sent the away team into the break with their noses in front, but his fourth goal of the campaign was soon cancelled out as Steven Skrzybski netted his 11th of the season to send the hosts level at the turnaround. Typically, it wasn't until the final stages of the second period that there was further action and it proved decisive as Prince Osei Owusu grabbed a late winner for the men from Regensburg.

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About the clubs

FC St. Pauli

Millerntor-Stadion

SpVgg Greuther Fürth

Sportpark Ronhof | Thomas Sommer