It's been a long time since all associated with St. Pauli were able to hear their goal music in a Bundesliga game at the Millerntor, but that wait finally came to an end in their home win against Holstein Kiel on Matchday 12.

With a powerful shot that snuck inside the post, Manolis Saliakas‘ opening goal in the 25th minute against Holstein Kiel brought elation to the Millerntor on Friday evening, as it gave St. Pauli their first Bundesliga goal in their own stadium after a remarkable 13-year wait. Coach Alexander Blessin was able to breathe a sigh of relief, as the long wait since he took the reins after gaining promotion this summer had frustrated him.

"If you don't hear the goal anthem and people keep asking you about it, then of course it hurts," the 51-year-old said. At around 8:56 pm on Friday, he finally heard "Song 2" by Blur in the stadium for the first time - if he could hear it over the huge cheering around him. "I have to say, I have never experienced such an atmosphere here. Friday night at Millerntor is always something special, but today the fans really went wild," said defender Hauke Wahl.

Manolis Saliakas wheels away in delight after netting the opener that set his side on their way to three points - IMAGO/Justus Stegemann

Three-goal party for Pauli

Perhaps the only time that evening the stadium fell silent was when a misplaced back pass from the goalscorer led to a penalty for Kiel. Nikola Vasilj jumped to the rescue though, saving Fiete Arp‘s 45th-minute penalty. Morgan Guilavogui sent the stadium into raptures again when he made it 2-0 in the 56th minute, before Johannes Eggestein got in on the act, scoring in the 85th minute to seal the points. Captain Jackson Irvine was proud of the pair after the final whistle, saying: "I'm particularly pleased that Jojo and Morgan scored."

26-year-old Eggestein was the man of the evening, assisting the two other goals before scoring himself. Afterwards he was full of praise for teammate Saliakas and his goal, saying: "What a sensational shot from Saliakas, he struck it superbly. It hit the inside of the post - a lot of things just went our way. To get our first Bundesliga goal here at the Millerntor and a 1-0 lead against Kiel - that was something special!"

Johannes Eggestein celebrates a goal of his own having set up the first two. - Stuart Franklin

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An evening full of positives

Eggestein was substituted early and, like his two goalscoring team-mates, he received a standing ovation from the grateful Pauli crowd. It was an unforgettable evening for the three of them, as well as for the whole club. Even though Phil Harres managed to grab a consolation goal in added time, the hosts were able to celebrate not only their first Bundesliga home goals of the season but also their first home win, which put some breathing space between them and their relegation-battling rivals. 

Winning at home against Kiel has become somewhat of a familiar feeling for the Pauli fans; last season, when both teams were still in the Bundesliga 2, they beat Friday’s opponents 5-1 at the Millerntor. "To be honest, I was thinking about last year against Kiel beforehand and had a good feeling that it would work out again," said goalscorer Eggestein after the game. With three more points under their belt, they were able to watch the remaining games of the Bundesliga weekend from home with the comfort of a win behind them. "Of course we all knew how important this game was. The boys got the reward for their efforts, which is a relief," said Blessin.

About the clubs

Holstein Kiel

Holstein-Stadion

FC St. Pauli

Millerntor-Stadion