Kult & Punk: St. Pauli run comes to an end in Dortmund

Kult & Punk, with help from Andy, report on the match in Dortmund. The truth is they didn't move from Zoe's Bar, thanks to the delivery of a table top Space Invaders machine - oh so retro. Truth be known it was young Andy James who was giving the responsibility and what a good job.

Dortmund - Borussia Dortmund recorded their first home victory since the winter break with a 2-0 success against FC St. Pauli, extending their lead at the top to 13 points.


Jürgen Klopp's champions elect bossed proceedings from the off and rarely came under pressure against the form team of 2011 so far, taking a first-half lead through Lucas Barrios' tenth of the season before a Ralph Gunesch own goal shortly after the restart secured another impressive three points.

Stanislawski limited for choice

Forced into six changes owing to injury, St. Pauli quickly found themselves under pressure at the Signal Iduna Park with Kevin Großkreutz testing Thomas Kessler within the first two minutes after making a smart diagonal run into the box. Nuri Sahin also went close with an arrowed left-foot strike which missed the right-hand upright by a whisker.

With Roman Weidenfeller wholly untroubled at the other end, Dortmund continued to claw at their retreating guests, who again had Kessler to thank for top saves to deny Großkreutz and Lucas Barrios with each clean through on goal, as well as Sahin, whose scorching effort from range had the Pauli shot-stopper at full stretch high to his left.

First goal of the year for Barrios

Meantime the best the visitors could muster in way of a response was a Charles Takyi swipe from a set-piece which was always rising. Stil Dortmund's opener never felt far away and it duly arrived just six minutes before the break. Barrios was the scorer for the first time in 2011, controlling Sahin's cross with balance before dragging across his marker and finishing against the run of Kessler.

Pauli's hopes of an equaliser were spoiled within minutes of the restart. Barrios was again the perpetrator, the Paraguayan afforded far too much space in the box to beat his marker and clip across the face of goal, where the unwitting Gunesch added a clumsy finish with Robert Lewandowski lurking and ready to pounce behind.

St. Pauli run comes to an end

It took the Kiezkicker over an hour to force Weidenfeller into his first save of the afternoon as Takyi and Marius Ebbers combined to tee up Fin Bartels, whose firm finish was met with a solid pair of hands by the BVB shot-stopper. Though Großkreutz fluffed another good chance following a good run and cross from the right by Lewandowski, the hosts were otherwise content to sit on their two-goal advantage, allowing Pauli a little more of the game without ever looking danger of conceding.

The Yellow-Blacks could have added a third in the closing stages but for a first-class Kessler save from Antonio da Silva's deflected curling finish, though the 2-0 scoreline was more than enough to reiterate Dortmund's title credentials. They again move further in front at the summit, St. Pauli's unbeaten start to the year comes to an end.

Line-ups:

BVB: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Felipe Santana, Hummels, Schmelzer - S. Bender, Sahin (Stiepermann 85') - Götze (da Silva 77'), Lewandowski (Feulner 87'), Großkreutz - Barrios

Pauli: Kessler - Thorandt, Gunesch, Morena, Oczipka (Volz 12') - Lehmann - Hennings, Takyi, Kruse (Bruns 70') - Ebbers, Sukuta-Pasu (Bartels 46')

Goals: 1-0 Barrios (39'), 2-0 Gunesch (o.g. 49')

With many thanks to Andy James for the post