Wolfsburg earn stay of execution in Bundesliga after vital win sends St Pauli down

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-pauli/ILyJuN3g/"]St Pauli[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/heidenheim/KWixEVWi/"]Heidenheim[/a] and Wolfsburg all entered a tense final matchday level on points - a first in 63 seasons of Bundesliga action.[/p][p]All three teams were out to clinch a place in the play-off, the spot that the visitors occupied at the start of proceedings.[/p][p]The two sides made an understandably conservative start until the contest burst into life midway through the first period when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fujita-joel/fk39PxaS/"]Joel Fujita[/a] rattled the underside of the crossbar before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/daghim-adam/MqjL5g4o/"]Adam Daghim[/a] broke away to force [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vasilj-nikola/zJ3yuRdk/"]Nikola Vasilj[/a] into a smart reaction stop.[/p][p]Daghim experienced more frustration when he was denied by a combination of Vasilj’s reflexes and the crossbar from the subsequent set-piece.[/p][p]Vasilj continued his battle with Daghim in the latter stages of a gripping first period, deflecting the ball behind from a near-post effort.[/p][p][b]However, the goalkeeper got trapped on his line from the resulting corner, as Konstantinos Koulierakis glanced the ball home to score in a second consecutive away game and establish a slender half-time lead. [/b][/p][p]Needing a turnaround, Alexander Blessin turned to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ceesay-abdoulie/Y5AWMRtT/"]Abdoulie Ceesay[/a] at the break, and the forward required less than 15 minutes to score in a third consecutive game, rising high in the box to send a firm header past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grabara-kamil/0MhuM4YL/"]Kamil Grabara[/a] from a dangerous, inswinging corner. [/p][image alt="St Pauli - Wolfsburg match stats" id="08d32722-fa97-40c9-a36e-f78bd50e3d07" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="5a263e9e-ff5b-43bf-bd13-39b7944f9980" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b]However, just as the hosts appeared to be in ascendancy, Vasilj inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net in his attempt to punch clear from a corner. [/b][/p][p]St Pauli desperately appealed for a foul, but the referee awarded the game’s third set-piece goal following a brief trip to the monitor. [/p][p]Daniel Siebert soon revisited the pitchside screen to penalise [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ando-tomoya/MTFoeA5d/"]Tomoya Ando[/a] for a handball, only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eriksen-christian/nBRuYbqs/"]Christian Eriksen[/a] to thump the subsequent penalty against the woodwork.[/p][p][b]The Dane’s miss was quickly forgotten when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pejcinovic-dzenan/MDy44NH5/"]Dzenan Pejcinovic[/a] pounced on a rebound to slot home Wolfsburg’s third goal, sealing all three points to send the Kiezkicker down with Heidenheim. [/b][/p][p]While the hosts bow out after two Bundesliga seasons, Dieter Hecking’s side will prepare for a playoff against one of Elversberg, Hannover or Paderborn.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koulierakis-konstantinos/ERPDa8p5/"]Konstantinos Koulierakis[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolfsburg/nwkTahLL/"]Wolfsburg[/a]) [/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/st-pauli-ILyJuN3g/wolfsburg-nwkTahLL/summary/stats/?mid=EXetMkVq"]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/p]