The Bavarians demolished the Bundesliga side in their own back yard to win the first leg of their play-off match for a place in the top flight next season.

The result means Nurnberg, barring an historic turn of events, will return to the Bundesliga after just one year in the second division with Cottbus taking their place in the second division and Oenning admitted yesterday's win even shocked him.

"We could not have imagined this even in our wildest dreams," he said.

"It is a surprise for all of us to win here 3-0."

Cottbus had beaten champions Wolfsburg at their Stadion der Freundschaft this season, picking up the lion's share of the points which earned them this second chance to avoid relegation in front of their own fans.

But they simply had no answer for a side who were oozing confidence after coming from nowhere during the second half of the season to clinch third place in the second division.

"Our self-confidence kept increasing and we were rewarded with important goals," added Oenning, who took on his first coaching post from Thomas von Heesen in September.

"But we still have the second leg to play and we cannot make the mistake of believing we are already through and under-estimating our opponent.

"We will now take this chance of earning promotion with all our might."

Cottbus are refusing to accept defeat, even if they must now go to a sold-out Frankenstadion on Sunday looking to win by a three-goal margin to keep this tie alive.

"Football is football and we still have 90 minutes," said their coach Bojan Prasnikar.

"We will give it a try."

But with only 11 goals in 17 away games all season - the worst record of any Bundesliga club - Cottbus' destiny already seems to have been decided and relegation along with Karlsruhe and Arminia Bielefeld now seems inevitable.