St Pauli pack out Dunfermline as Celtic fans join German support in the stands for noisy friendly clash

Dunfermline were in action in the first friendly ahead of the new season but the night ended in defeat against German side St Pauli.

A crowd of 7255 were inside East End Park to see goals either side of the break from Johannes Eggestein and Hauke Wahl, and a third 12 minutes from time from David Otto for the visitors. Pars boss James McPake said: “There was a good crowd, a good opposition and it was a very good exercise for our players. We’ll take a lot of that game in terms of where we are in pre-season. Playing in that atmosphere was great for the players. It didn’t feel like a friendly.”

The German side draw fans from across the globe, their ‘kult’ following attracted to the club’s left-wing politics and social activism. Hundreds of Celtic supporters were packed into a bustling away end to join the travelling Germans and followers from St Pauli’s UK fan clubs. On the pitch, there was a zip to the play, despite both being only a week into their pre-season regimes, and the visitors impressed from the off as they took the lead in nine minutes.

Robin Muller clipping in a cross that Eggestein headed beyond Deniz Mehmet. With St Pauli changing their whole team at half-time, they doubled their lead three minutes into the second-half.

Marcel Hartel’s corner was nodded on by Lennart Appe and knocked in by Wahl in a crowded box. Otto added a third in the 78th minute with a header.

New Dunfermline signings Ewan Otoo and Kane Ritchie-Hosler impressed for the home team in a tough 90 minutes for the League One champions. Paul McGowan, another who was on loan last term, featured as a trialist for 71 minutes following his departure from Dundee this summer as he tries to win a deal.

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