Football: Division one league - Red Star Defence Forces and La Passe share the points |16 June 2018

First division league leaders Red Star Defence Forces shared the points with La Digue side La Passe in a 0-0 draw at Stad Linite on Thursday afternoon in a division one league encounter on Thursday at Stad Linite.

Red Star Defence Forces were once again without their talisman and top scorer Malagasy Jocelyn Fenosoa who is out of the country and Erol Bacco, who was deputising for him, should have given his team the lead in the 9th minute as he chased a long ball over their opponents’ defence but he hesitated and La Passe skipper Laurel Ladouce managed to tackle him in the nick of time.

Three minutes later at the other end, Stan Fanchette took a free kick after Tanzanian striker Mwazembe Godwin Moses was brought down as he bore on goal and he forced goalkeeper Jerome Dingwall to send the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

In the 17th minute, Red Star Defence Forces’ Malagasy midfielder Jean Tigana set up his captain Warren Mellie who was playing in midfield, but his shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved at the second attempt by goalkeeper Dave Mussard.

A minute later, Fanchette again forced goalkeeper Dingwall to take immediate action to tip over the bar his inswinging corner and he took the resulting corner kick which his captain Ladouce headed wide at the near post as the two teams tried to break the deadlock.

Just past the half hour mark, Fanchette picked out Moses with a superb pass and the Tanzanian forward held off his marker but he shot across the face of goal for a goalless first half.

Red Star showed more urgency in the second period as they dominated proceedings and in the 50th minute, Tigana picked out his countryman Michel Nambintsoa with a glorious cross field pass and the former Revengers midfielder cut inside his marker to fire a rasping shot which goalkeeper Mussard tipped over the crossbar.

Seven minutes later at the other end, Perry Monnaie hassled for the ball well before he centered to Moses at the near post and his shot was kept out by goalkeeper Dingwall.

Red Star Defence Forces though had the upper hand, and in the 67th minute, Collin Francourt floated a ball to Nambintsoa who controlled well but he shot over the crossbar from the edge fo the penalty area.

La Passe, despite playing second fiddle, had a great chance to score in the 69th minute from a corner by Fanchette which flashed across the face of goal but three La Passe players failed to connect.

Two minutes later goalkeeper Mussard produced a fantastic save to deny Nambintsoa after the Malagasy midfielder had exchanged passes with substitute Ryan Henriette.

The army team’s last opportunity to grab all the points came in the 83rd minute from Nambintsoa’s corner which was met by defender Michel Souris at the near post but goalkeeper Mussard plucked the ball out of the air to ensure his team earn a share of the points though their coach Bruno Saindini would have preferred all the points to bolster their league standing.

“We had targeted all three points in this match though we were conscious that our opponents are unbeaten and it was going to be a difficult match but we have to be content with a point,” coach Saindini told Sports NATION as his team lie fifth in the standings.

As for the Red Star Defence Forces manager Philip Barbé, he felt his team had the edge in this encounter but is still happy with maintaining their unbeaten run.

“We created quite a number of scoring opportunities and even better chances than our opponents but we just failed to score against a tough side, but we have to be satisfied with a point as we stay top and remain unbeaten though we wanted to claim all the points to open up a gap at the top,” manager Barbé told Sports NATION.

R. J-L.