Barclays League Division One-St Michel run riot over Plaisance |12 September 2008

Plaisance had the audacity to take the lead in the first minute in their first real attack. Prolific striker Andy Mougal latched on to Jean Paul Aglaé’s pass to elude Neddy Rose and captain Godfrey Denis before rifling an angled shot past goalie Nelson Sopha for a shock 1-0 lead.

But most people knew that Plaisance were playing with fire, especially with only 13 players in their ranks and morale low in their camp.

Five minutes later, as St Michel raised the tempo, Philip Zialor curled a free-kick on to the roof of the net.

Plaisance had to replace the injured Richard Lesperance in the 15th minute when he was injured in a tussle and this further hampered their squad.

In the 18th minute, St Michel should have equalised as Malagasy Pascal skipped past his compatriot Ralida to centre to the unmarked Zialor, who flashed a clear header wide.

Nine minutes later, parity was restored as Pascal weaved his way past a couple of tackles to pick out Alex Nibourette on the left. Nibourette’s teasing cross was rammed home by young Alfredo Manou to make it 1-1.

Just past the half-hour mark (32nd minute), Don Anacoura and Zialor combined for a quick free-kick which caught the Plaisance defence napping. Zialor threaded a pass to Anacoura, who broke clear to shoot past goalie Peter Toule (2-1).

There was no turning back for St Michel as they turned the screw on Plaisance. In the 39th minute, Zialor released the marauding Nibourette, who lobbed the advancing Toule to thump the ball into an empty net to make it 3-1.

St Michel added a fourth on the stroke of half-time as Pascal latched on to a through pass to race clear before cutting back for Anacoura to score (4-1).

St Michel kept up the momentum as they went further ahead in the 52nd minute. Plaisance failed to clear the ball, allowing Zialor to steal it and blast a shot into the roof of the net (5-1).

Ten minutes later, Anacoura almost completed his hat-trick as he benefited from a quickly taken free-kick but Toule stood strong to deny him with his leg.

A minute later, St Michel increased their tally from Pascal’s deep corner which Zialor headed back in the box to Manou, who headed home to complete a memorable night for him (6-1).

In the 68th minute in a rare Plaisance attack, Mougal exploited space in the St Michel defence to shoot at goal but if flew narrowly wide.

Anacoura kept tormenting the Plaisance defence to score his own third goal and his team’s seventh as he was brought down by France Pool in the penalty area in the 72nd minute.

Referee Jourdan Benstrong pointed to the spot and Anacoura picked himself up to score (7-1).

Zialor then scored an audacious goal in the 79th minute from a long way out as he lobbed Toule, who was way off his line, for an 8-1 lead.

In the 81st minute, St Michel made it 9-1 as talented young substitute Leeroy Corallie pounced on a through ball to round Toule before scoring from a tight angle.

St Michel put the icing on the cake with a 10th goal on the stroke of full-time as substitute Bernard St Ange set up Zialor, who fired a low shot which that beat Toule to complete his hat-trick and 10-1 score.

St Michel’s manager Brian Uranie was very pleased with his team’s performance, though he would have liked more resistance from bottom club Plaisance.

R. J-L.