"There were few tears at the end, just as there were few gazes directed to phone screens during the game to check scores elsewhere. St Pauli scarves were raised to the sky in the stands of Millentor as You'll Never Walk Alone rolled out of the stadium's speakers, with the players and staff forming a huddle in the middle of the field to share words of commiseration. This club apart will live to fight another day, after a day on which they had given everything and on which it just was not enough."
"It would be simplistic, on a day when Europe's premier counter-cultural club played a club that have traditionally been seen by Bundesliga fans as the embodiment of corporate football with salvation the prize, to say that Wolfsburg needed this more than St Pauli. This meant plenty to this left-leaning neighbourhood of Hamburg too, where innovative measures like selling supporters shares in the stadium to raise funds have shown how determined they are to prove that there are ways to thrive and survive in the top leagues of the modern game without shedding their traditional values."
"Recent form had suggested this might be a mountain too many for St Pauli, as they came into this fixture with no wins in their previous nine. Yet here they had their chance. With the bottom three all on 26 points, all three had the chance of finishing bottom or booking themselves the playoff place in 16th. Heidenheim made up the trio, facing Mainz at home having risen from the ashes in recent weeks, so it was worth glancing south too, as a draw in Hamburg would give Frank Schmidt's side the chance to finish off a great escape to top them all."
"Shape emerged after a cagey opening and perhaps it was the expected one; the home side huffing and puffing, and even coming close to an opener when Joel Fujita smacked a shot from range against the crossbar, and the slick"
St Pauli ended the match with visible emotion, including tears and frequent glances at phone screens for other results. Supporters raised St Pauli scarves as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” played, while players and staff gathered in a central huddle to share commiseration. The club’s survival hopes depended on league outcomes involving the bottom three, all tied on 26 points, with opportunities to finish bottom or reach the playoff spot. St Pauli entered the game without a win in nine matches, yet still had a chance. The match began cautiously, with St Pauli pressing and coming close through Joel Fujita’s long-range shot that struck the crossbar.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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