Connor Metcalfe grabbed an assist as St Pauli claimed a crucial three points in their bid for promotion, winning 2-1 over Hannover 96 on Sunday in the German 2.Bundesliga.
Metcalfe worked a nice one-two with Marcel Hartel down the left flank, before whipping a cross in for Oladapo Afolayan to head home in the 41st minute.
Hannover equalized before half-time, but Metcalfe almost restored St Pauli’s lead with a first-time hit from the edge of the box from a corner which forced a good low save.
Johannes Eggestein scored the winner with a 65th minute header in a game where Metcalfe and fellow Socceroo Jackson Irvine both put in full shifts.
With four games to play, St Pauli are second on 60 points behind Holstein Kiel (61), with Fortuna Dusseldorf (55) in third and Hamburg SV (49) in fourth. The top two automatically go up.
Nick D’Agostino scored his first goal of the new Norwegian Eliteserien campaign, heading in a Zlatko Tripic’s free-kick at the back post in their 1-1 home draw with Fredrikstad.
D’Agostino squared the game up at 1-1 in the 33rd minute with his goal, having scored four times in 25 appearances in all competitions last season, his first in Norway. Watch here.
Patrick Yazbek, who started and played 70 minutes, dragged wide a good chance inside the box in first-half stoppage time. Gianni Stensness was a 70th minute substitute.
D’Agostino almost came up with an 89th minute winner when he instinctively poked Tripic’s cross, but it went marginally wide of the post.
Hearts’ Aussie trio Kye Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson and Cammy Devlin suffered Scottish FA Cup semi-final heartbreak after a 2-0 loss to Rangers.
Rowles, who put in a full shift, was rated 6/10 by Edinburgh Evening News, who wrote: “Reacted slowly at the opening goal. Composed with the ball when stepped out of defence.”
Atkinson started and played an hour and was rated 6/10: “Kept Matondo fairly quiet. Managed to get forward without leaving team-mates exposed.”
Devli started and played 73 minutes, earning a 6/10: “Worked hard to close down opponents in midfield. John Lundstram was difficult to match.”
Kusini Yengi made it two goals in two games as newly-promoted Portsmouth went down 2-1 at home to Wigan in League One.
Portsmouth clinched promotion to England’s second tier in midweek with a 3-2 win over Barnsley where Yengi netted to make it 1-1.
The Socceroo backed that up, scoring in the 85th minute after coming off the bench in the 63rd minute.
Yengi swooped from close range to slot home a rebound after a deflected shot cannoned into the crossbar.
Pompey were crowned champions after the game, lifting the trophy.
Harry Souttar missed Leicester City’s 2-1 home win over West Bromwich Albion due to a knock, with the result moving the Foxes a big step closer to automatic promotion back to the English Premier League.
Jordan Bos was back from a knee injury but remained an unused substitute for Westerlo in their 3-3 draw with Aiden O’Neill’s Standard Liege in the Belgian Pro League. O’Neill remains out with an ankle injury.
Awer Mabil made his first start since December following injury but he couldn’t prevent struggling Grasshoppers slumping to a 1-0 loss at Servette in the Swiss Super League.
Mabil started and played 68 minutes, while Joshua Laws put in a full shift as Grasshoppers suffered their fifth straight loss to sit precariously in 11th in the 12-team league.
Others
Full games
Tyrese Francois (Vejle), Alessandro Circati (Parma), James Holland (Austria Vienna), Gethin Jones (Bolton), Mitch Langerak (Nagoya Grampus)
Minutes
Cristian Volpato – SB 46 (Sassuolo), Ryan Edwards – ST 46 (Amorebieta), John Iredale – SB 73 (Wehen Wiesbaden), Anthony Kalik – ST 67 (Hajduk Split) Lachlan Jackson – SB 97 (Suwon FC)
Unused subs
Jonathan Aspropotamitis (Pohang Steelers), Jack Iredale (Bolton), Nicholas Bilokapic (Peterborough), Harrison Delbridge (Incheon United), Brad Smith (Houston Dynamo)
Notable absentees
Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata), Craig Goodwin (Al Wehda)
