Jan-Marc Schneider scored his first goal for FC St. Pauli to save them a point against SV Sandhausen.

The top scorer for their second team scored on the turn in the final minute, after Manuel Stiefler had put the hosts in the front, but in truth they had had plenty of other chances to go ahead themselves in the 80 minutes before going behind.

The two sides remain level on points in the 2. Bundesliga table, with Sandhausen ahead in fifth by goal difference.

Buchtmann and Nehrig closest to breaking deadlock

With Tim Kister suspended plus Maximilian Jansen and Lucas Höler injured, Sandhausen coach Kenan Kocak made six changes to the team that lost to VfL Bochum – Stiefler, Marcel Seegert, Ali Ibrahimaj, Philipp Förster, Julian-Maurice Derstroff and José Pierre Vunguidica all came in. St. Pauli had also lost Cenk Sahin to injury, with Mats Möller Daehli replacing him from the draw against 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Daniel Buballa replaced Jeremy Dudziak as well.

Sandhausen were working hard to find early openings – with Derstroff perhaps having a case for handball against Lasse Sobiech in the box – but it was their visitors that had the first good chance to score. The ball came through Waldemar Sobota and Sami Allagui to Christopher Buchtmann, who had a great opportunity to score in the box but completely lost his footing after failing to get his shot away first time.

Robin Himmelmann was called into action soon after. Förster played a good ball through towards Vunguidica, without a Sandhausen goal since joining in 2015. That would not change, as the St. Pauli goalkeeper mopped up the ball before he could get to it.

As the half progressed though, St. Pauli would produce the best chances for goals. Whilst Allagui’s struggles in front of goal continued, Buchtmann had a shot blocked by Tim Knipping. Daehli had an attempt deflect wide just before the break, and the following corner fell, via the chest of Förster, to Bernd Nehrig, but he was denied by a split-second save from Marcel Schuhen.

Schneider pounces after Stiefler scores opener

Sandhausen had a couple of further chances just after the break, with a Förster shot saved by Himmelmann and Markus Karl, on in place of Denis Linsmayer for the second half, struck wide. St. Pauli still looked the better of the two sides, without creating too much in front of goal.

With just over 20 minutes left on the clock, the hosts had a golden opportunity but couldn’t make the most of it. Set up by Richard Sukuta-Pasu, Philipp Klingmann had only Himmelmann to beat but he struck the wrong side of Himmelmann, going wide. Dudziak nearly then scored at the other end moments after coming on, exchanging passes with Buchtmann before going wide.

Perhaps against the run of the game, Sandhausen would break the deadlock just ten minutes before the end. Sobiech conceded a corner, which was headed clear by Avevor, or so he thought. The ball fell to Stiefler, whose shot managed to find the gaps in a crowded box to hit the back of the net. Allagui, the closest man to him, could have reacted better to prevent the shot.

St. Pauli have struggled when falling behind this season, and Olaf Janßen’s decision to finally give defender Clemens Schoppenhauer a debut in place of midfielder Johannes Flum was a strange one. Nevertheless, another of his reinforcements saved his side a point. Sandhausen failed to clear their lines, and Allaugi found the young forward, who scored on the turn for his first senior St. Pauli goal.

Klingmann went wide for Sandhausen in stoppage time, but a point was probably a fare result, even if St. Pauli may feel over the 90 minutes they deserved more than that. They move up to sixth, ahead of Arminia Bielefeld, remaining level on points with Sandhausen.

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