Kult & Punk: A Draw halts the run of Defeats for St Pauli

Kult & Punk in fancy dress, as St Pauli draw with Stveie Macs Wolfsburg. Here in Hamburg, Wally with the Brolly is a real person and frequents Zoes Bar. You know, Kult and Punk really do think I believe them. This picture is not Kult & Punk, however, if you have been affected with issues within this posting, please call someone and quickly.

St. Pauli passed up the chance to put some distance between themselves and the drop zone after being held 1-1 at home by a distinctly off-form VfL Wolfsburg, although the point did at least bring to an end the Hamburg side's four-game losing streak.

Steve McClaren's VfL meanwhile have won now won just one of their last seven matches and remain in the lower reaches of mid-table on 15 points, one more than St. Pauli.

Early pressure from St. Pauli

The hosts seized the initiative from the off and almost went in front in the third minute, Marius Ebbers connecting with a Max Kruse cross only to see his header rattle against the bar. St. Pauli continued to carve out the better chances in the period that followed and an effort on the turn from Kruse midway through the half pulled a fine save out of guest keeper Diego Benaglio. With just under half an hour on the clock though their endeavours paid off when defender Markus Thorandt headed home a corner taken by the industrious Kruse.

Far from sitting back on their lead, St. Pauli pressed forward in search of a second and after Bastian Oczipka went close from a free kick in the 34th minute, Matthias Lehmann (37'), Kruse once again (42') and Fabian Boll (45') all squandered further chances to give the home side a comfortable cushion by half time.

Dzeko strikes again

They were made to regret those misses when Wolfsburg finally came to life to level the contest with a goal of classic simplicity nine minutes into the second half. Mario Mandzukic knocked a long kick-out from Benaglio onto Diego, who teed it up with his head inside the box for Edin Dzeko to slip the ball past home keeper Thomas Kessler and into the corner of the net. That was the prolific Bosnian striker's ninth goal of the season.

Any hopes on the part of the visitors that the goal would spark a sustained bid to take away all three points soon proved unfounded and it was St. Pauli who looked the more likely to score again over the remainder of the match. They didn't manage to do so however and come the final whistle, must have been reflecting above all on those missed opportunities in the first half.

Line-ups

St. Pauli: Kessler - Rothenbach, Zambrano, Thorandt, Oczipka - Boll - Kruse (76' Naki), Asamoah (90' Schultz), Lehmann, Bartels (82' Bruns) - Ebbers

Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Pekarik, Kjaer, Barzagli, Marcel Schäfer - Riether, Josue (58' Madlung) - Mandzukic, Diego, Cicero (71' Hasebe) - Dzeko

Goals: 1-0 Thorandt (28'), 1-1 Dzeko (55')

Attendance at the Millerntor: 24,150