Football: Airtel Cup-St Louis Suns, St Michel, Anse Réunion stay unbeaten |12 March 2007
At Stad Linite Friday March 9, Alpha Baldé inspired St Louis Suns to an emphatic win as he gave them the perfect start in the fourth minute. He fooled young Foresters goalie Roy René by sending his corner kick straight into the net for a 1-0 lead.
Foresters had not recovered when in the sixth minute, Baldé was brought down in the penalty area by Andy Sarah and referee Bernard Camille pointed to the penalty spot. Jonathan Bibi stepped up to score and give his team a 2-0 advantage.
Foresters though managed to steady the boat and in the 22nd minute, Andrew Figaro sneaked in behind St Louis Suns’ central defenders but Bibi recovered in time to dispossess the striker.
In the 33rd minute, Foresters rode their luck. St Louis Suns’ captain Denis Barbé latched on to a through ball and bore on goal and Foresters’ skipper Jason Denise tripped his opposite number.
Referee Bernard Camille awarded the foul but did not send off captain Denise let alone book him.
Baldé again led the St Louis Suns attack in the second half and in the 56th minute, his teasing cross was headed home by Jonathan Bibi for his second of the match and his team’s third goal.
In the 65th minute, Foresters should have reduced the deficit as Figaro was placed in a good scoring position but he allowed goalie Vincent Euphrasie to turn his shot into corner.
St Louis increased their lead to 4-0 in the 67th minute as Eddie Bistoé threaded a pass to Mervin Mathiot who looked offside and he scored with his near post shot.
After goalie René had parried one of his long range efforts, Bistoé scored with a 30m cracker, surely the best goal of the match, in the 72nd minute after having collected a pass from skipper Barbé. His blistering drive hit the underside of the cross-bar and rolled over the goal-line to make it 5-0.
The boys of coach Marc Mathiot sealed their win in the 81st minute as Jones Joubert went on a marauding run to centre to Mervin Mathiot whose diving header completed the 6-0 rout.
Foresters’ spokesperson Frank Aglaé said his team have a lot of work to do if they are to survive in the top flight. But Aglaé revealed that injury had caused them to re-shuffle the team and added that he was also very disappointed with the level of officiating.
As for St Louis Suns’ coach Mathiot, he said that his team have shown great improvement though he still feels there are adjustments that need to be made to ensure his team play as a unit.
The eastern derby
As always a large crowd converged at Stad Linite on Saturday March 10 in anticipation and
Red Star though suffered a setback in the second minute as Joel Barra, their two-goal hero against Northern Dynamo, had to be transported to hospital after suffering a cut above an eye. He was replaced by Jean-Paul Marguerite who had a loan spell with La Passe last year.
St Michel though were the better side as they carried the match to their opponents. In the 10th minute, Henny Dufresne released Marcel Labiche whose instinctive cross sailed over Red Star captain Nigel Freminot to Malagasy Pascal Razakanantenaina who failed to adjust his shot with the goal at his mercy.
Three minutes later, St Michel appealed for a penalty after Gary Robert surged into the penalty area and his cross apparently came off Harry Libanotis’ hand, but referee Eddie Maillet was not convinced.
Red Star’s first chance came as a result of a rare mistake by an otherwise impeccable goalie Nelson Sopha in the 17th minute as he dropped Bernard St Ange’s corner into Allen Larue’s path but his volley flew inches over the cross-bar.
In their next foray in the 25th minute, St Michel took the lead. Philip Zialor was the instigator as he linked up with Danny César who, in turn, fed Alex Nibourette who went galloping down the left and his cross was headed home by Pascal past goalie Andrew Valentin as the Red Star defence was caught ball-watching.
The celebration had barely ended when St Michel struck again a minute later as Don Anacoura’s centre was spilled by goalie Valentin and Pascal was on hand to punish him, tapping into an empty net to complete his brace – his sixth goal in three matches.
Red Star then tried to have a go at St Michel in the last 15 minutes of the first half but they were short of ideas with their Malagasy playmaker Guy Rene Raberante well marked by Garry Robert and Zialor.
In the second half, St Michel were again the dominant side and they increased their lead in the 55th minute.
It all started from Zialor’s free-kick way out which came off the Red Star wall and Anacoura pounced on the loose ball to shoot low with his weaker right foot to make it 3-0.
St Michel scored a superb fourth goal in the 57th minute after a sweeping move which caught Red Star’s defence out-numbered and Zialor, who had inspired the counter-attack, fired the ball low and his shot went in off a post for a 4-0 lead.
In the 67th minute, Pascal almost completed his hat-trick though he looked suspiciously offside but goalie Valentin did well to block his shot.
Red Star’s defence was in tatters and seconds later Anacoura raced through but was denied by goalie Valentin.
Red Star scored a consolation goal in the 73rd minute as Wilnes Brutus, who was deprived of service throughout the match, controlled a long ball before laying it to Malagasy Taly whose sweet left foot volley crept in at the post.
St Michel, who always looked likely to score whenever they went on the offensive, restored their four-goal advantage in the 88th minute. Malagasy Pascal played a deep corner to Zialor who headed across goal and substitute Steve Stephen headed the ball home to make it 5-1.
Red Star’s coach Mosa was very disappointed with his team’s overall display and promised to improve in their next match.
As for St Michel manager Brian Uranie, he was overjoyed and added that his team are playing some good brand of football and praised the players for a brilliant team display which epitomized discipline and hard work.
Anse Réunion edge Northern Dynamo
Also on Saturday, but this time at the La Digue playing field, Anse Réunion scored a late winner to overcome a determined Northern Dynamo 1-0.
Yelvanny Rose scored in the 85th minute to help his team register their second win in the Airtel Cup after their 3-1 victory over Light Stars the weekend before.
R. J-L.