Jackson Irvine got an assist as St Pauli triumphed 2-1 at John Iredale’s Wehen Wiesbaden to lift the German 2.Bundesliga title on Sunday, only seven days after securing promotion.
Wiesbaden had gone ahead early, before Aussie Connor Metcalfe fizzed a 38th-minute strike wide.
But Irvine pushed forward and laid off for Andreas Albers to equalize in the 51st minute. Danel Sinani grabbed an 82nd minute winner to clinch the title.
Irvine and Metcalfe both played full games in the win for the Bundesliga-bound Pirates. Iredale was a 57th minute sub for Wiesbaden who next face a relegation playoff.
On Sunday, Joe Gauci was an unused sub on the bench as UEFA Champions League-bound Aston Villa ended their English Premier League season with a 5-0 loss at Crystal Palace.
Denis Genreau returned to action for Toulouse for the first time since December, coming on as a 57th minute substitute in their 3-0 home loss to Brest to close the French Ligue 1 season in 11th.
Cristian Volpato was an unused substitute in Sassuolo’s 2-0 home defeat to Cagliari, condemning the Neroverdi relegation from Italy’s Serie A.
Mat Ryan’s AZ Alkmaar missed out on a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot, after spurning a 3-0 lead and drawing 3-3 with Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie on Sunday.
Ryan played a full game, although the result ultimately didn’t matter with Twente winning elsewhere to clinch third. AZ finish fourth and will settle for a Europa League spot.
Ajdin Hrustic started and played 86 minutes as Heracles secured survival with a 0-0 home draw with Fortuna Sittard.
The bottom half of the Scottish Premiership season ended on Sunday, with Martin Boyle and Nectar Triantis both playing full games in Hibernian’s 1-1 draw at relegated Livingston.
Both earned 6/10 ratings from Edinburgh Evening News as Triantis impressed in a new central midfield role. Tete Yengi put in a full shift for Livi up front.
On Triantis, Edinburgh Evening News wrote: “Looks so much more comfortable in central midfield, linking well with Newell.”
On Boyle, Edinburgh Evening News wrote: “Made to work and graft by a Livi side who rely on strength and pace out wide.”
The top half of the Scottish Premiership season concluded on Saturday, with Keanu Baccus playing a full game in an exciting 3-2 loss for St Mirren away to champions Celtic. Ryan Strain was a 66th minute sub for the Saints.
With nothing on the line with European qualification already secured, Kye Rowles and Cammy Devlin played their part as Hearts scored two late goals to draw 3-3 with Rangers.
Rowles put in a full shift and earned a 6/10 rating from Edinburgh Evening News, who wrote: “Caught on the ball in his own box in the first half but got away with it. Booked in the second half for holding Dessers back.”
Devlin started and played 74 minutes, earning a 6/10: “Displayed his usual energy and tenacity in midfield. Put in some good tackles. Constantly told to pass forward where possible.”
Socceroo Gethin Jones suffered heartbreak at Wembley in front of 70,000 fans with favourites Bolton losing the League One promotion playoff 2-0 to Oxford United on Saturday.
Jones played a full game in the defeat where the Trotters conceded two first-half goals and couldn’t rally a response.
Aussie defender Jack Iredale joined Jones, who was booked in the 47th minute, on the pitch as a 65th minute substitute. Both will need to spend another campaign gunning for promotion.
Jordan Bos played a full game as Westerlo lost 2-0 at home to Mechelen to remain winless in the Belgian UEFA Conference League playoffs.
Aiden O’Neill was absent with an ankle injury for Standard Liege, who are also winless and two points ahead of Westerlo, after going down 4-1 to Gent.
Awer Mabil put in a full shift in Grasshoppers’ last-gasp 1-0 home loss to FC Basel which ensured they’re destined for a Swiss Super League relegation play-off. Joshua Laws was an unused sub for Grasshoppers.
James Holland was a 57th minute substitute as Austria Vienna boosted their European hopes with a 2-1 win at Blau-Weiss Linz in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Tomi Mrcela played a crucial role with a goal and an assist as relegated Rudes came from 3-0 down to grab a 3-3 home draw with Lokomotiva Zagreb in the Croatian Prva HNL.
Mrcela, who was called up by the Socceroos in 2015, put in a full shift and scored to make it 3-2 with a header from a corner in the 87th minute, before providing the assist, nodding back a deep cross for Vanja Sare’s 93rd minute equaliser.
Mitch Langerak kept a clean sheet in Nagoya Grampus’ 2-0 victory away to Sagan Tosu in the Japanese J1 League. Nagoya are currently fourth.
Others
Full games
Ryan McGowan (St Johnstone), Aaron Calver (Daejeon Citizen), Harrison Delbridge (Incheon United), Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata)
Minutes
Ryan Edwards – SB 87 (Amorebieta), Mitch Duke – SB 76 (Machida Zelvia), Alexandar Popovic – SB 34 (Gwangju), Lachlan Jackson – SB 59 (Suwon)
Minutes
Brad Smith (Houston Dynamo)
