Football: SeyPearl Premier League |18 November 2019
Evariste (left) scored a hat-trick for St Michel against Côte d’Or
La Passe, St Michel, St Louis, Anse Reunion win
Reigning league champions Côte d’Or suffered their first loss of the season as they were beaten 4-1 by St Michel on Saturday afternoon at Stad Linite while on La Digue, La Passe sneaked past Northern Dynamo on a 2-1 score and on Praslin, St Louis sunk LightStars 1-0. On Friday, Foresters preserved their unbeaten run with a 3-1 victory over Revengers and Anse Reunion swept aside Au Cap 4-0 at Stad Linite.
Evariste hat-trick sinks Côte d’Or
St Michel’s Malagasy striker Evariste bagged a hat-trick to sink reigning league champions Côte d’Or 4-1 at Stad Linite on Saturday to inflict a first defeat on the Praslin team.
St Michel had to reshuffle the pack with Malagasy Oliver Livakely and Norris Bibi suspended while Yannick Manou was on the bench after suffering a facial injury last week.
This match kicked off with a minute’s silence in memory of a fervent St Michel supporter who passed away on Friday.
St Michel though opened the scoring in the 18th minute from a mistake by Marcus Rose who let in Malagasy Evariste who in turn played the ball to Jean Claude Berlouis who fired at goal but the ball came off the arm of Côte d’Or skipper Benoit Marie for a penalty indicated by referee Emile Fred.
Evariste took responsibility of the spot kick and he rifled the ball into the roof of the net past goalkeeper Curtis Jean-Baptiste to make it 1-0.
Côte d’Or should have levelled matters in the 26th minute from Collin Esther’s floated free kick which defender Julio Brown failed to clear and it fell to Ugandan striker Tony Kizito but his shot in the penalty area grazed the post.
St Michel increased their advantage a minute later from Evariste’s inswinging corner which was met by a powerful header by Malagasy Francis to make it 2-0 as the striker finally scored after a long barren spell.
The Anse Aux Pins-based team added a third goal on the half hour mark from another defensive blunder by Côte d’Or to give the ball away to Malagasy Hassan Aly who linked up with Berlouis who in turn set up Evariste who unleashed a thunderous shot which crashed into the roof of the net to make it 3-0.
In the 33rd minute, St Michel sliced open Côte d’Or’s porous defence as Evariste combined with Aly whose shot was charged down to Berlouis but goalkeeper Jean-Baptiste did well to deny the St Michel winger.
Côte d’Or went close in the 37th minute from Andy Brioche’s through ball to Perry Monnaie who fired at goalkeeper Alvin Michel who tipped the ball over into corner for a solid stop.
The St Michel custodian though was lucky not to be punished on the stroke of half-time when he cleared the ball straight to Collin Esther but the midfielder could not direct his shot on target with Michel in no man’s land as the first half ended on a 3-0 scoreline.
Côte d’Or showed a bit more urgency in the second period and Ugandan striker Tony Kizito should have done better with a short corner whipped in by Collin Esther in the 46th minute but from an offside position, he headed wide.
St Michel hit their opponents on the counter on the hour mark as the irrepressible Hassan Aly released Evariste who twisted and turned captain Benoit Marie who tripped him to concede a second penalty.
Evariste picked himself up to stab the ball past goalkeeper Jean-Baptiste to complete his hat-trick and make it 4-0.
St Michel coach Nigel Moustache brought on Victoria City captain Leroy Chetty who joined them on Friday on loan to see out the last 25 minutes where Côte d’Or pressed but Kassah could not find a way past goalkeeper Alvin Michel in the 68th minute when he was clean through.
In the 76th minute, Collin Esther found Kassah again with a well-weighted pass but Julio Brown did enough to force the normally deadly striker to shoot wide.
The reigning league champions did score a consolation goal in the 87th minute from Andy Brioche’s short corner to Nigerian substitute Peter Adeshina whose inswinging cross was guided into the net by Kizito for a 1-4 score but it was too little too late as the Praslin outfit were soundly beaten and their manager André Bédier was very disappointed with his players’ lack of determination and fighting spirit for this top-of-the-table clash.
“We played poorly and lacked the hunger where we made too many defensive mistakes and were duly punished while we failed to score the numerous chances we created,” Côte d’Or manager Bédier related to Sports NATION.
As for St Michel manager Andrew Jean-Louis, he was very pleased that his makeshift team had overcome the league champions with consummate ease.
“It is a very good result for my team against a disorganised opponent where we controlled the midfield and capitalised on their mistakes to get the goals to register a very good win,” St Michel manager Jean-Louis stated.
La Passe see off Northern Dynamo
SeyPearl league leaders La Passe saw off the threat of Northern Dynamo in a narrow 2-1 triumph at the L’Union playing field on La Digue on Saturday afternoon to maintain top spot.
La Passe took the lead in the second period after a goalless first half and it was Marcus Labiche who broke the deadlock to make it 1-0 but Ahmed Adrienne leveled the score at 1-1 for the players of coach Jeris Cesar.
La Passe’s Brandon Fanchette sealed the win with a late strike to make it 2-1 the final score for the players of coach Bruno Saindini who are on 19 points, one better off than St Michel.
St Louis edge LightStars
St Louis edged LightStars 1-0 at Stad Amitié on Saturday afternoon for three priceless points for the players of coach Michel Renaud.
Elijah Tamboo struck the only goal of the match in the first half to inflict a second consecutive defeat on the team of coach Ted Esther.
Foresters overcome Revengers to stay unbeaten
Mont Fleuri-based Foresters remain as the only unbeaten team in the top flight as they overcame Revengers 3-1 at Stad Amitié on Friday afternoon.
Leroy Corallie put them ahead in the first period for a 1-0 lead at the interval.
However, Revengers pegged them back when defender Warren Mellie was adjudged to have fouled Malagasy Marthelin in the 49th minute and referee Emile Fred pointed to the penalty spot and the same Marthelin scored past goalkeeper Kitson Cecile to make it 1-1.
Nigerian striker Kazeem Adeyeri though restored Foresters’ lead in the 54th minute to make it 2-1 and substitute Francis Nourrice added a third in the 92nd minute for a 3-1 final score.
Anse Reunion blitzed past Au Cap
La Digue side Anse Reunion blitzed past bottom club Au Cap in a 4-0 victory at Stad Linite on Friday evening courtesy of hat-trick from their Malagasy striker Iavotriniaina ‘Iavo’ Razafindratsima.
Iavo opened the scoring in the 19th minute as he shot past Au Cap goalkeeper Terence Mondon after a mêlée in front of the Au Cap goal to make it 1-0 at half-time.
In the 50th minute, Iavo sprung Au Cap’s offside trap to sprint clear to go round goalkeeper Mondon and make it 2-0 and two minutes later, Dieter Constance put the finishing touch to Roderick Rose’s teasing free kick for a 3-0 lead.
Iavo completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute from a counter and Yelvanny Rose set him up to slot the ball home for a 4-0 result which delighted stand-in coach Jean-François Dora who said that his team had travelled to Mahé for a positive result though they did not underestimate their opponents despite their lowly position.
As for Au Cap club president Nichol Dogley, he was very concerned with the level of commitment of his players and admitted that they are in a precarious position on the league table as he considers reinforcing the squad.
R. J-L.
