Bochum picks up first win

Bochum picks up first win

Bochum picked up their first Bundesliga win of the season after beating Hertha Berlin 1-0.

Anthar Yahia's goal four minutes after the interval proved the difference between the teams at the Ruhrstadion.

Hertha lost 2-1 to Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend and went down by the same scoreline at Brondby in the Europa League play-off first leg on Thursday.

And the hosts looked out to inflict further misery on their visitors from the early stages today.

Stanislav Sestak broke through the defence in the 14th minute and got his shot away but Hertha goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny parried clear.

Sestak was afforded another chance midway through the half from Joel Epalle's cross but he could not direct his header on target.

Home goalkeeper Philipp Heerwagen was called into action for the first time on the half-hour from Gojko Kacar's shot and dealt with the danger comfortably.

The visitors were beginning to find their feet and tested Heerwagen again eight minutes before half-time with a curling free-kick from Maximillian Nicu, but the keeper was up to the challenge.

But when the breakthrough arrived four minutes after the interval it was the home fans who were celebrating.

Epalle played a short free-kick to Yahia, who gave Drobny no chance with a fine curling effort from the edge of the box.

Hertha picked up the pace in their pursuit of an equaliser with first Valeri Domovchiyski firing wide and then substitute Raffael lashing over.

Raffael had another chance eight minutes from time when he was played through by Kacar, only to this time power his shot narrowly wide of the right-hand upright.

Bochum almost doubled their advantage in the final minute through Christoph Dabrowski but the substitute was denied by Drobny after bursting through.