FC snatch the points in Bochum

In the final Bundesliga game of 2008, 1. FC Köln beat VfL Bochum 2-1 (1-0). Kevin McKenna gave the visitors the lead (44') in front of a 30,208 crowd in Bochum. After the break the home side equalised through Christoph Dabrowski (59'). In an intense closing phase, FC were reduced to nine man after both Pedro Geromel and Milivoje Novakovic were red carded but with just minutes to go, substitute Mannaseh Ishiaku settled the tie in Köln's favour.

Four alterations for FC

Compared to the side that started against HSV last weekend, Christoph Daum made four changes to his starting eleven with Marvin Matip, Nemanja Vucicevic, Kevin McKenna and Sergiu Radu coming into the side in place of Petit, Wome, Antar and Ehret. FC once again got to enjoy something of a home tie atmosphere on away turf, with some 10,000 Köln fans making their way to the Ruhr Valley for the tie.

Milivoje Novakovic (18') and Vucicevic each had chance to open the scoring, as did Joel Epalle at the other end with a shot that struck the post, but it was to be a defender that broke the deadlock. Miso Brecko delivered a free-kick from the right, which Kevin McKenna headed wonderfully into the top corner - 1-0 (44').

The equaliser

VfL approached the second period with the same sort of determination that FC did in the first and with just under an hour played they were back on level terms. Dabrowski rose in the centre to meet an Epalle corner and headed home powerfully to make the score-line 1-1 (59'). Bochum were inspired by their goal and went in search of the lead, which almost came following a shot from Epalle, but Faryd Mondragon in the FC goal was equal to the effort.

Hectic finish

As the game drew to a close, FC had their next shock to deal with when Pedro Goromel picked up a second booking and was given his marching orders. With three minutes to go, substitute Fabrice Ehret won the ball at the edge of his own box and powered the full length of the pitch before laying off to Manasseh Ishiaku who slotted into the empty VfL net to make it 2-1 for Köln (87'). Not even the late sending off of Novakovic could dampen the spirits of the FC fans, who saw their side head into the winter break with a very respectable 22 points to their credit.

The team line-ups:

VfL Bochum: Fernandes - Pfertzel, Maltritz, Mavraj, Bönig (74' Grote)- Schröder - Freier, Epalle (78' Fuchs), Dabrowski - Sestak, Mieciel (58' Sinan)

1. FC Köln: Mondragon - McKenna, Geromel, Mohamad, Brecko - Matip, Pezzoni - Broich (90' Nickenig), Vucicevic (70' Ehret) - Radu (82' Ishiaku), Novakovic