Braunschweig kick of the action this Friday but I can't watch it so I'll be relient on my mobile apps to keep me inforned of progress. The last two encounters for these two teams resulted in 3:0 and 3:1 wins for Braunschweig so they will fancy their chances. If they were to draw or loose it would be great for Hertha, but it wasn't to be. Braunschweig won 1:0 with a goal from Vrancic deep into injury time.
Congratulations to Eintracht Braunschweig on their promotion to the Bundesliga to join Hertha in the 2013/14 season. It's been a long time coming for them..
This was another humdinger! Before I start on about the match I thought I'd mention I noticed the intact WW2 Flak Tower next to the St Pauli ground. Massive structures in reinforced concrete and notable for me because two of the three were blown up and/or buried in Berlin. Only the one overlooking the Gesundbrunnen shopping centre is even partially intact and accessible. Half if that one was blown up and the debris buried under a man made "hill". The one in Hamburg stands there - bold as brass. I might go and check that out one day.
Hertha came out strong and were dominating possession as you might expect in the first few minutes of the match. Thus culminated in a goal in by Sammi Allagui with an assist from Ronny. The match didn't stay like this however and St Pauli started looking increasingly dangerous on the break. Thomas Kraft had a very uncharacteristicly strange match. In the 32nd minute he picked up a yellow after running about 30m out and taking out Ginczek I think it was. He did a bit if this running forward in this match. Hertha went in a goal up at half time but St Pauli's Lennart Thy scored a deserved equaliser in the 66th minute.
Things got a little sticky for Hertha for a spell following the goal and the woodwork took a bit of a pounding as a result. Things went rapidly downhill when Kraft leaping up to punch the ball away in the box was deemed to be a foul and the referee pointed to the spot. Ginczek put it way in the 85th minute and St Pauli and their fans must have thought they had it in the bag. But life is sometimes cruel and it was to be Hertha's day. A beautiful strike from who else but Ronny equalised in the 88th minute and in the 90th the substitute Sandro Wagner scored the winner. Total dismay for St Pauli but delight for Hertha!
Four points ahead of Braunschweig with three games and nine points to play for . . . there us still so much to play for!