The hosts struck three goals in the first half, with Mike Hanke bagging himself a brace inside the opening 20 minutes and Mikael Forssell adding a third just before the break.

Antonio da Silva pulled one back from the penalty spot three minutes into the second period before Lars Stindl reduced the deficit to one goal with four minutes to play.

Hannover coach Dieter Hecking came into the game under pressure after winning just 13 points from the first 14 matches, but his side went ahead with the first chance of the game after 12 minutes.

Hanke collected a long ball from Hanno Balitsch on the left wing before striding into the penalty area where he released a great right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.

Six minutes later Hanke made it two goals from two chances when another long ball forward from Konstantin Rausch found Szabolcs Huszti this time on the left wing, and he immediately headed the ball on to Hanke who turned and fired a superb right-footed effort into the top left-hand corner from 12 yards out.

Karlsruhe could have pulled one back after 27 minutes but Edmond Kapllani's header was cleared off the line, and from then until the break Hannover dominated.

Balitsch brought a great save out of Markus Miller and Huszti hit the post before Forssell grabbed the all-important third goal in the 44th minute after he finished off a great pass from Arnold Bruggink.

Karlsruhe were a different side in the second half, and pulled one back within three minutes through Da Silva after Frank Fahrenhorst fouled Michael Mutzel in the box.

Stindl twice and Mutzel both sent shots wide as the half ticked away before Stindl broke away with four minutes left to set up a tense finish.

Hannover goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz then kept his side in the lead when in the final minute he reacted quickly to tip a Joshua Kennedy header over the bar.