Football: Airtel Cup-Red Star secure semifinal spot, St Michel have to wait |09 May 2005

In group A, defending champions St Michel are almost sure of progressing to the semis but have to wait a little longer even after showing Survivors the consequences of playing with fire. Held to a 1-1 draw in the first round match, the boys of coach Bernard Dorasamy hammered Survivors 7-0, making it a weekend to forget for Praslin teams.

Losing finalists to St Michel in last year’s edition of the competition, Red Star, whose play left a lot to be desired, had to come from a goal down at Stad Linite after Malagasy stopper Desiré Ramsamymanana scored in his own net in the opening minute.

They equalised in the 19th minute through Wilnes Brutus whose header from Bernard St Ange’s right wing cross hit the underside of the bar with Baie Ste Anne 96ers’ goalkeeper Kenneth Lesperance beaten. Although a defender cleared the ball, assistant referee Jason Damoo had his flag up to indicate that it had crossed the goalline and referee Jean-Claude Labrosse awarded the goal.

Unable to play their usual fast flowing football down the wings allowing Baie Ste Anne 96ers to build up their confidence, Red Star, who won the corresponding first round fixture 7-0, had to wait until the 50th minute to go into the lead through the same Wilnes Brutus with a simple tap-in from Radley Monthy’s low left wing cross.

Monthy, formerly with Light Stars, turned from provider to scorer seven minutes later when he slid in to push the ball into the net from Jeffrey Brutus’ cross from the right.

Veteran striker Danny ‘Papin’ Rose added his name on the scorers’ list in the 70th minute, heading the ball home after Wilnes Brutus had skillfully set him up from Monthy’s cross.

With nine minutes remaining, Jeffrey Brutus’ defence-splitting pass sent his younger brother Wilnes charging on goal and he rolled the ball under his boots to avoid the challenge of the out-rushing keeper Lesperance before slotting it home.

On the stroke of full time, Monthy’s audacious lob kissed the crossbar and the lurking ‘Papin’ headed the rebound to Jeffrey Brutus who had no problem connecting to the ball with a header to close the score at 6-1.

With 16 points after six games and another two left to play, Red Star have pinned down a place in the semifinals and Malagasy coach Mosa was ecstatic.

“We are already in the semifinals and it is very likely that we will finish at the top because of our goal difference of +21 compared to La Passe’s +8,” Mosa told Sports Nation.

Like Red Star, La Passe are left with two games to play and if they can garner maximum points, they will finish the group phase with 16 points to accompany the Anse Aux Pins-based team into the semifinals.

Defeats for La Passe in both matches and a win for Light Stars in their next match against Red Star on Thursday this week, will see the Praslin team progress to the knockout phase.

St Michel teach Survivors the dangers of  playing with fire

Last Friday, defending champions St Michel taught Survivors not to play with fire, hammering them 7-0 on the back of two goals by midfield maestro Don Anacoura.

Former Sunshine players Anacoura and Henny Dufresne combined and the former catapulted the latter’s 23rd minute left wing cross into Survivors’ goalkeeper Wilfred Ally’s net to open the floodgate.

A rock in the Survivors goal when they held St Michel to a 1-1 draw in the first round, keeper Ally could not reproduce the same heroics as he conceded another six goals.

Malagasy Leonni Nastinan scored his fourth consecutive goal in three matches in a row for St Michel with a strong shot after having escaped the Survivors defence.

Anacoura extended St Michel’s lead to 3-0 four minutes from half-time with his second personal goal, volleying the ball home with his left foot.

Midfield workhorse Garry Robert showed his strikers that he too can score goals, lobbing the ball over the tall keeper Ally and into the top right hand corner of the net from Joel Barbé’s 51st minute pass.

Six minutes later, Lorenzo Mathiot rose unchallenged at the far post to head home Joel Barra’s free-kick for his fourth headed goal in the competition.

Substitute Yves Zialor, 15, set up Marcel Labiche for St Michel’s sixth goal in the 89th minute before making the most of a friendly rebound off keeper Ally to round up the scoring at 7-0 in time added on.

After his team had equaled the biggest win in the competition, coach Dorasamy did not want to comment on St Michel’s possible passage to the semifinal preferring to let time tell the story.

With 16 points after six games, St Michel, who are to play challengers Anse Réunion and St Louis, need just one point out of six to be sure of making the semis.

In the event of St Michel conceding defeats in their remaining matches and both Anse Réunion and St Louis winning their two games, Anse Réunion, who boast 11 points from six games, will finish at the top of group A with 17 points, while St Louis will end the group matches equal on points – 16 – with St Michel. The team with the best goal difference will then accompany Anse Réunion into the semifinals.

G. G.