Football: Airtel Cup-Convincing wins for St Michel and Anse Reunion |18 May 2009
On Saturday at Stad Linite, St Louis Suns fought back to earn a 3-3 draw against La Passe, Anse Reunion thrashed Foresters 5-0 on La Digue and visitors Northern Dynamo held LightStars to a 2-2 draw on Praslin.
Zialor hits five to help crush SMB
There was nothing super about SMB as they were very poor in the first half where St Michel
St Michel, who failed to take the lead in the 14th minute after Alex Nibourette missed a free header, opened the floodgates in the 21st minute from goalie Trevor Bill’s mistake which allowed Leeroy Corallie to feed Zialor, whose weak shot was spilled by Bill. Pascal was on hand to ram home the loose ball for a 1-0 lead.
SMB’s only chance fell to Terence Kilindo in the 34th minute from Kevin Quatre’s corner but he headed over.
On the counter, St Michel increased their lead as Nibourette bore forward and his cross was half-cleared to Zialor, whose left footer found refuge in the net (2-0).
Four minutes later, Zialor scored a brilliant goal as he latched onto Benahovy’s through ball to lob Bill from over 30 metres (3-0)
Zialor completed one of the fastest hat-tricks in the competition two minutes later as Nibourette played a deep cross into the penalty area to Pascal, who headed the ball back to Zialor. He easily tapped it in to complete his hat-trick in six minutes as well make it 4-0 at half-time.
In the 57th minute, Zialor was hacked down by Jean-Paul Aglaé and referee Gonzague Boniface pointed to the spot. Zialor easily sent Bill the wrong way (5-0).
SMB, who went close to reduce the deficit six minutes later as Yannick Julie volleyed a good chance onto the cross-bar, were gifted a sympathy penalty for a handball against Nigel Freminot when the defender should have benefited from a foul by substitute Rannes Vel on him. Quatre took the spot kick to beat goalie Jerome Dingwall (5-1).
However, St Michel soon restored their dominance as Pascal broke clear in the 79th minute to shoot past a hapless Bill (6-1).
Zialor then scored his fifth personal goal to make it 7-1 from Malagasy Pascal’s cross. Pascal wrapped the scoring deep in injury time from Allen Larue’s cross which he headed home in via a post to complete an emphatic 8-1 victory over SMB.
St Louis Suns fight back for draw
St Louis Suns had to fight back from 1-3 down to secure a 3-3 draw at Stad Linite against La Passe on Saturday.
St Louis Suns were the dominant side in the first half and they opened the scoring through a long range effort by Andy Mougal in the 14th minute.
However, La Passe’s Malagasy Bruno Saindina levelled matters in the 36th minute from an Achille Henriette corner to make it 1-1 at half-time.
La Passe almost took the lead in the 49th minute as Stephan Morel’s cross opened up the St Louis Suns defence but Henriette failed to connect. The La Digue-based team though took the lead in the 54th minute from a catastrophic goalkeeping error by Eugene Valentin.
It all started from Saindina’s floated free-kick which Valentin should have held but he decided to punch out the ball to Henriette, who punished him (2-1).
As St Louis Suns pushed forward, Henriette failed to punish another Valentin mistake in the 65th minute from Saindina’s free-kick.
La Passe increased their lead in the 75th minute as Malagasy captain Eric Rajaobery broke clear to centre and Valentin pushed the ball out. In the mêlée, the ball fell to Henriette, who rammed it into the net (3-1).
However, St Louis Suns fought back and in the 86th minute, Mougal picked up a loose ball from 30 metres and his strong shot beat goalie Vincent Euphrasie (3-2).
Three minutes later, St Louis Suns drew level as Denis Barbé threaded a pass to Wilnes Brutus, who held his marker to fire past Euphrasie (3-3).
Northern Dynamo hold LightStars
Northern Dynamo twice came from behind to claim a point against LightStars on Praslin on Saturday.
Captain Bertrand Esther gave LightStars the lead from a header in the first half, but Dynamo’s captain, Malagasy Asman Todisoa levelled matters on the stroke of half-time. LightStars’ Collin Esther restored his team’s advantage with a beauty early in the second period.
Again Dynamo scored through Valerio Dorothé to equalise at 2-2 to claim a point.
Anse Reunion thrash Foresters
La Digue-based Anse Reunion thrashed Foresters 5-0 on La Digue on Saturday.
Malagasy Milison Niasere broke the deadlock in the first half before Yelvanny Rose increased their lead to 2-0 before half-time.
Niasere scored two more goals in the second period to complete his hat-trick, while Yelvanny Rose added another goal to make it a 5-0 win for coach Vojo’s boys.
R. J-L.