Alois Schwartz's 1. FC Nürnberg earned an important three points, as a late Guido Burgstaller header gave them victory at struggling Erzgebirge Aue in the 2. Bundesliga.
In what had proven a disappointing first half, Kevin Möhwald struck minutes before the break to give der Club the lead after some neat Tobias Kempe play.
However the struggling Aue hit back after the break and were level courtesy of a Nicky Alder strike. Yet that wasn't the end of the action and late on Burgstaller saw his deflected header earn Nürnberg all three points, as the pressure begins to heap upon die Veilchen boss, Pavel Dotchev, who is without a point in four.
Möhwald gives der Club the advantage at the break
Jakub Sylvestr was making his return to the Sparkassen-Erzgebirgsstadion on Friday night, after spending two years with die Veilchen between 2012 and 2014.
The Slovakian forward however hasn't enjoyed the best of times since leaving Saxony, scoring on only eleven occasions since his move to Nürnberg and a subsequent loan spell at SC Paderborn.
However he nearly made his old club pay early on, as his lofted snap-shot beat Daniel Haas but fortunately for Pavel Dotchev's side, drifted just wide of the former Union Berlin goalkeeper's post.
On their return to the 2. Bundesliga, after spending the 2015/16 season in the 3. Liga, die Veilchen, Erzgebirge Aue, have not struggled with scoring goals. It was therefore no surprise that Aue were straight on the attack against a porous 1. FC Nürnberg defence, that has proved the third worse in the entire division so far.
It required a last ditch Lukas Mühl challenge to prevent Pascal Köpke racing through on goal. The fact that the 19-year-old Club defender had just received a yellow card from referee, Benedikt Kempkes, only accentuated what a good tackle it was from the young Nürnberg man.
However an area that Dotchev's side have certainly struggled is defence. Whereas Nürnberg have a poor defence, Aue have gone one step further and have the worst defence in the entire second division with 23 goals already conceded by the Saxon side.
Thus, it came as no shock whatsoever when another goal was added to that tally by Kevin Möhwald on the stroke of half time.
Tobias Kempe found himself in acres of space out on the right flank; the former SV Darmstadt 98 man advanced towards the newly rebuilt westtribüne before whipping in a ball that was met on the bounce by Möhwald, who side footed past a hapless Haas.
It was the second goal of the season for the former Rot-Weiß Erfurt man, Möhwald. The other came in a 2-0 victory over high flying die Eiserne, Union Berlin, so the fact that the midfielder had once again got on the scoresheet proved a promising omen for Alois Schwartz.
The 49-year-old, Schwartz, had previously managed Möhwald during his year in charge of Erfurt, and the 23-year-old has endured a revival at the Grundig-Stadion under Schwartz's tutelage; already beating his goal tally from last season.
Der Club's goal had come at the end of what had been quite a poor first half. Neither side had really worked the opposite goalkeeper, but Nürnberg had took their chance when it came and subsequently Erzgebirge Aue had a mountain to climb in the second half.
Burgstaller seals it late on
The newly promoted Sparkassen-Erzgebirgsstadion side have been on a terrible run as of late, with four defeats from their last five.
That included a 6-2 hammering at the hands of Kosta Runjaic's 1860 Munich last weekend, and as a result the pressure has begun to be heaped upon boss, Pavel Dotchev, the man that steered die Veilchen to promotion back to the 2. Bundesliga at the first time of asking.
But as it turned out, Aue would soon be level after the break. Mario Kvesić linked up nicely with Sebastian Hertner, the left fullback fresh from having his red card he picked up against 1860 Munich overturned by the DFB; before he back lofted the ball into the Nürnberg box.
Half time substitute, Fabio Kaufmann, headed the ball back towards Köpke and the 21-year-old rolled his man, Even Høvland, allowing Nicky Adler to charge in and thunder the ball past a helpless Thorsten Kirschbaum from close range.
Following Adler's strike, Aue pushed for a second in a matter of minutes. Köpke and Adam Sušac had good chances in quick succession, but both went begging for die Veilchen.
Sušac's in particular was a golden opportunity; the Croatian central defender found by Kvesić unmarked in the Nürnberg box, but he could only direct is close range header into the hands of a thankful Kirschbaum.
Sušac and Erzgebirge Aue would soon be regretting that missed opportunity, as Schwartz's der Club struck late on to heap even more pressure upon Dotchev.
Möhwald was once again at the fore, he took the corner that was placed right on the head of Guido Burgstaller. The Austrian forward's header at first hit Calogero Rizzuto, but fortunately for Burgstaller the deflection wrong footed Haas and trickled into the far corner of the goal.
The angst clear to see on the face of Dotchev and die Veilchen Sporting Director, Steffen Ziffert, as Burgstaller wheeled away in celebration towards the travelling der Club fans who had made the short journey from the Franconian capital. A tenth of the season for the Austrian international.
Aue pushed for an equaliser late on, but no such goal was forthcoming. Apart from the goal and the half chances that followed, Høvland and Mühl had dealt adequately with all that the likes of Köpke, Adler and Kvesić could offer throughout.
With the result, Schwartz and der Club are beginning to put a nice run of form together as they are unbeaten in five. Dotchev meanwhile is left in the lurch as we head into the two week international break.