Everything was there!
Hannover 96 and St. Pauli split 2:2 in a great second division game. 33,600 spectators see an early Pauli goal, a joke penalty, a dream goal from 96 left-back Derrick Köhn and a last-second equaliser.
Things don’t start well for Hanover at first. There is a traffic jam at the entrance until just before kick-off. Two out of 35 turnstiles are broken. To ensure that everyone is there in time, the stewards let the affected viewers through without being checked.
Some 96 fans might have preferred to be outside when this happened: After Schaub’s mispass, St. Pauli quickly brought the ball forward. Börner loses the header duel against Matanovic. Derrick Köhn keeps a safe distance against Johannes Eggestein – the 24-year-old from Havelse (2004-2013) scores from the turn after 3 minutes and 13 seconds to make it 1-0.
Eggestein, of all people, who was born in Hanover but never played for 96. It was his first goal after 433 days (!) – back then in Austria for Linz against RB Salzburg (2:5).
Then the great excitement of the game: Kerk crosses harmlessly in front of the goal, Adam Dzwigala jumps the ball to his hand – penalty, according to referee Felix Zwayer. Even after checking by the video referee Robert Hartmann, it stays the same: hand penalty.
Sebastian Kerk runs and scores. Keeper Smarsch is in the right corner, but has no chance. 1:1! From the box was drawn the new 96-tour anthem “Freedom from Desire” (“Na-na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na”).
“Clear wrong decision,” says Sky expert Torsten Mattuschka: “It’s never a penalty. Felix Zwayer has to go out and have a look.” Even Hannover’s injured playmaker Sebastian Ernst (construction after a torn Achilles tendon) admitted during the break: “You don’t have to give it up.”
In the second half, 96 initially sets the tone for victory – with a dream goal.
In the 71st minute Schaub shifted the attack with a wonderful long ball to Besuschkow, who put it on Derrick Köhn in the penalty area. The ex-Bayer (came from Willem II from Holland) thunders the ball into the right corner, deflected by Irvine.
But the final point is set by the guests from Hamburg. Hannover does not get a Paqarada free kick from the left. Somehow the ball ends up with Irvine, who hits his head from a few meters.
