Football: Barclays League division one-St Louis Suns return to winning ways, Zialor nets hat-trick |24 September 2007

The next day, there were away wins for St Michel and La Passe. Anse Aux Pins-based St Michel got a hat-trick from Philip Zialor as they collected an impressive 3-1 away victory over Light Stars at the Baie Ste Anne Praslin playing field and La Passe blanked Red Star 3-0 at Stad Linite.

St Louis Suns v Northern Dynamo

St Louis Suns United reshuffled their team for this match after losing to SMB in their previous one. Achille Henriette played a free role and he was inspirational in his team’s win.

They looked more fluid and dangerous in their attack and it was no surprise to see them go ahead in the 20th minute through a penalty after Henriette was brought down by captain Ronny Hoareau. Jonathan Bibi was assigned to take the spot kick and he sent Nothern Dynamo’s goalkeeper Jake Constant the wrong way to give his team a deserved lead.

A minute later, captain Denis Barbé linked up with Congolese Jonathan Mbanze who cut inside to roll the ball to Trevor Poiret who shot over and was badly fouled as he took the shot. He was replaced by Ted Esther.

In the 24th minute, St Louis Suns went further ahead as captain Barbé exchanged passes with Jude Marie who found Mbanze who in turn threaded a pass to Henriette. He raced clear and beat goalie Monnaie at the near post to make it 2-0.

It looked as if the floodgate had opened but Northern Dynamo stunned St Louis Suns three minutes later. Striker Jules Désir led a counter-attack and he managed to hold off Bibi’s challenge to fire into the roof of the net as goalie Valentin came out to challenge him (2-1).

In the 40th minute, St Louis Suns again created a decent opportunity as Fabien Cadeau latched onto Mbanze’s through-ball to pick out Jude Nancy but he could not direct his free header on target.

A minute later, Henriette fed the overlapping Cadeau but goalie Monnaie was quick off his line to block his shot.
Cadeau made amends in the second half as he scored in the 50th minute. Nancy played a long ball to Mbanze whose flicked back header placed Cadeau in the clear and he made no mistake as he shot past goalie Constant to stretch St Louis Suns’ lead to 3-1.

St Louis Suns enjoyed plenty of possession but they could not convert clear chances to extend their advantage.
In the 80th minute, Malagasy Asman Abdou latched onto a long ball to beat Malagasy Ralida and Bibi but his shot flew wide as St Louis Suns breathed a sigh of relief.

St Louis Suns tried to bolster their attack and sent on substitute Alpha Baldé for the last 10 minutes.
In the 84th minute, captain Barbé made space for himself and rifled at goal but his shot crashed against the cross-bar.
Baldé also tested goalie Constant with a well-worked free-kick which dipped wide in the 86th minute.
Northern Dynamo had to play the dying minutes with 10 men as Colin Marie had to go off for treatment after he injured his arm following an awkward fall.
In injury time, Adbou, looking suspiciously offside, collected a high ball but Ralida put in a great recovery tackle to deny the deadly striker.
St Louis Suns’ coach Marc Mathiot was just pleased to have all three points.

Red Star v La Passe

La Passe registered their third win on the trot and Red Star were their victims on Saturday at Stad Linite.
Ironically, Red Star started brightly as they took the game to their opponents. In the eighth minute, Red Star’s Gervais Waye Hive went agonizingly close with a superb shot which forced La Passe’s goalie Vincent Euphrasie to tip over. From Bernard St Ange’s resulting corner, Waye Hive missed a clear header.

Two minutes later, La Passe almost made them pay for their miss as Brian Ravinia and goalie Damien Adela could only clear the ball to Gitano Ladouce but his effort rolled wide.

In the 13th minute, La Passe opened the scoring as Ugandan Jimmy Kidega released Gitano Ladouce who raced clear and cut the ball back to Tanzanian Rashid Gumbo Mohammed who shot low in a crowded penalty to make it 1-0.

Red Star continued on the offensive despite the setback and in the 21st minute, St Ange latched onto Allain Bibi’s weak clearance but his shot lacked the sting to trouble La Passe’s goalie Euphrasie.

Midway in the half, La Passe went further ahead as Kidega threaded a pass to Melvin Uranie whose well-weighted pass caught Red Star’s defence napping and Gitano Ladouce sneaked in to ram the ball home for a 2-0 lead as Red Star protested for an offside.

Red Star tried to redress the balance and in the 51st minute substitute Erwin Pragassen fired at goal and Malagasy Taly tried to deflect the ball but goalie Euphrasie cleared the danger with his leg.

In the 57th minute, La Passe caught Red Star on the counter as substitute Rick Bibi bore forward to set up Rashid Gumbo but he shot weakly a gilt-edge opportunity.

A minute later, La Passe stretched their lead as Bibi was brought down by Jemmy Edmond and referee Jacques André pointed to the spot. Their Ghanaian midfielder, Appiah Kwashi, decided to take the penalty and he beat goalie Adela for a 3-0 lead.
In the 68th minute, Pragassen stole the ball from a defender but he shot across the face of goal.

Red Star kept huffing and puffing but could not break down La Passe’s defence. In the 88th minute, La Passe should have added a fourth goal as Uranie led the attack to square the ball to Ghanaian Hoffman Omonk who was making his debut but he allowed his shot to be blocked.

La Passe’s Mauritian coach France L’Aiguille said that he is happy with the recent string of results which has improved his team’s league placement.

Light Stars v St Michel

Philip Zialor netted a hat-trick to lead St Michel to a 3-1 victory over Light Stars to regain the leadership of the Barclays League division one.

Zialor scored all his three goals, including a penalty – his third goal - in the second half after the first period ended goalless.

Bertrand Esther scored a consolation goal for Light Stars to make it 3-1.

R. J-L.