Football: Land Marine Cup-La Passe move into semifinal |12 October 2011
In the 19th minute, Geal Jessinghaus released Garry Radegonde whose superb cross was glanced wide by Malagasy Valerie with a header.
La Passe duly took the lead a minute later as Valerie played a neat one-two with Achille Henriette to open the Quincy defence and Valerie blasted the ball into the roof of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Quincy were gifted a good chance from a poor clearance in the 24th minute as Charles Clarisse dispossessed Jessinghaus but he shot weakly at goalkeeper Dave Mussard.
In the 27th minute, Quincy’s goalkeeper produced a good save to tip over Valerie’s cheeky chip after he was given space on the penalty edge to twist and turn.
On the half-hour mark, La Passe doubled their advantage as Henriette picked out Valerie with a deep corner and the Malagasy’s pin-point header crushed into the net for a 2-0 score.
A minute later, La Passe stretched their score from Henriette’s teasing cross which Yelvanny Rose managed to direct into the net to make it 3-0.
In the 35th minute, La Passe’s Jean-Paul Adela went on a marauding run to skip a couple of tackles before firing at Agathine who parried the ball onto Yelvanny Rose’s header. But the burly striker headed straight into the gloves of a relieved Agathine.
Valerie was denied his hat-trick in the 42nd minute as he pounced on a defensive mistake to race clear but his thumping drive was tipped over by Agathine.
La Passe went further ahead in the 44th minute from a good run by Malagasy Tholix Jean before laying the ball off to Roderick Rose who drilled home a low shot for a 4-0 half-time score.
Quincy almost cut the deficit in the opening seconds of the second period as Nichol Esther found space to shoot at Mussard who spilled the ball before the danger was cleared.
La Passe made it 5-0 in the 56th minute when Jessinghaus linked up with Yelvanny Rose who was marginally offside and which was not signaled. He crossed the ball to Roderick Rose who rammed it past Agathine.
La Passe seemed to release their foot off the accelerator allowing Quincy to put them under a lot of pressure and threatening to score on a number of occasions.
In the 63rd minute, Jerry Freminot chased a long ball and cut it back to Esther who intelligently allowed the ball to roll to Michael Hertel who looked odds on to score but Mussard made a decent save.
Quincy’s enterprising play as they shook off the shacklers paid off in the 70th minute as substitute Alex Dugasse burst through on the right with speed and his inviting cross was side-footed into the net by Esther to make it 5-1.
Quincy continued to show some good touches as La Passe appeared to lose their way, but the second division runners-up who are chasing promotion to the top flight next year, could not create clear-cut chances.
They were almost punished in the 78th minute from a swift move by La Passe led by Henriette who fed Valerie, who, in turn, threaded the ball to captain Saindini and his stinging shot got stuck in Agathine’s legs.
On the stroke of full-time, La Passe’s substitute Ted Esther, playing his first match after a long injury lay-off, was lucky not be sent off by referee Alistair Barra as he blocked Hertel who was racing on goal. He received a yellow card and the resultant free-kick taken by George Ravinia was well saved by Mussard.
A minute later, Quincy’s substitute Aubrey Botsoie fed Dave Malcouzane whose half-volley was pushed onto the cross-bar goalie Mussard as La Passe ran out 5-1 winners to become the first team to progress to the semis.
R. J-L.