Football: Barclays league division one-St Roch upset La Passe |21 May 2012

St Roch smash La Passe’s unbeaten run

Visitors St Roch registered an unlikely victory over La Passe on Saturday to smash their eight-game unbeaten run.
It was expected to be a tall order for the players of coach Ralph Jean-Louis as they embarked on a difficult mission on La Digue but he did his former team St Michel a big favour by reducing the gap between them and La Passe at the top of the league table.

Yves Zialor gave La Passe a good start as he scored the opening goal from a first-time shot which goalie Julio Toulon could not save for a 1-0 advantage.
 
Brian Ravinia though levelled the score at 1-1 before half-time. Steven Télémaque scored his team’s second goal from the penalty spot after being brought down in the penalty area by defender Jules Constance and referee Jose Pillay did not hesitate to award the visiting team a spot kick.

St Michel edge LightStars

St Michel travelled to Praslin and struggled to best LightStars 3-2 at the Amitié Stadium.
Languishing at the bottom of the league standings, LightStars shocked their opponents through Bertrand Lablache who gave them the lead only for St Michel’s Wilnes Brutus to level the score at 1-1.
Leeroy Corallie gave defending league champions St Michel a 2-1 advantage before LightStars’ Ian Vel failed to score a penalty which goalkeeper Nelson Sopha saved.

As the game progressed, St Michel’s Malagasy defender Jimmy Radafison reduced the score with an own goal under intense pressure from LightStars’ new Malagasy recruit Haja.

But it was left to young St Michel striker Corallie to score his brace and give his team all three points to close the gap on bitter rivals La Passe to three points.
 
St Louis Suns renew with victory

St Louis Suns renewed with victory with a 1-0 win over St Francis on Saturday at Stad Linite.

But, St Francis showed more determination in the first period and nearly took the lead in the 16th minute when Radley Monthy released Evans Confiance who raced on goal but his low shot hit the foot of the post as St Louis Suns rode their luck.

This match, however, lacked goalmouth action and the spectators had to wait until the 36th minute when St Francis’ goalkeeper Andrea Libanotis was penalised by referee Jean-Claude Labrosse for holding the ball far too long. Jonathan Bibi rolled the ball into captain Trevor Poiret’s path but his strong shot was charged down.

Four minutes later as St Louis Suns came into the match, Bibi threaded a pass to Poiret who pulled the ball back to Ernesto Doway but he failed to connect.

Doway, who had another poor game, missed an even better opportunity in the 42nd minute when he latched onto a short back pass by Harry Libanotis to Andrea Libanotis. Doway pounced on the loose ball to round Andrea Libanotis but somehow shot over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

St Louis Suns showed more purpose in the second period and in the opening 50 seconds, Elijah Tamboo pounced on a loose ball but his shot lacked the sting to trouble goalie Libanotis.

In the 49th minute, St Louis Suns’ Brian Dorby gave the ball away to Stephane Esparon but goalkeeper Elvis Leopold blocked his shot with his legs.

St Louis Suns though were the better side but did not make the most of their scoring opportunities – Bibi heading wide Poiret’s curling 53rd minute free-kick, Tambo shooting wayward in the 55th minute, and Doway heading wide in the 67th minute.

St Louis Suns finally took the lead in the 86th minute from a deep Brian Dorby free-kick and there was substitute Fabien Cadeau to head home in a crowded penalty area to make it 1-0.

In injury time, Cadeau was the victim of a vicious two-footed tackle by Jones Larue who only received a yellow card which upset the St Louis Suns goal scorer who was booked for venting his anger at referee Labrosse.

It was a sweet victory, however, for St Louis Suns over their former coach Marc Mathiot as they returned to winning ways in the absence of coach Gergov Mladen.

Anse Reunion and Dynamo draw

Northern Dynamo and Anse Reunion shared the spoils – 1-1 – at Stad Linite on Friday in a highly entertaining game as both teams fought for the points to move into third position.

Dynamo should have stunned Anse Reunion in the third minute as Jude Botsoie released Malagasy Asman Todisoa who was in the clear but he shot weakly at goalie Paul Ah-Kong with the goal at his mercy. The same Todisoa shot wide another good chance three minutes later.

However, Dynamo had to make an early substitution in the ninth minute as the injured Ted Cupidon had to be replaced by Valerio Dorothé.

Anse Reunion, who had been on the defensive, had a decent chance in the 10th minute from Malagasy player-coach Jocelyn’s free-kick to his colleague Hassan Ali. Ali set up Samy Radegonde whose shot was deflected by Hubert Ernesta but it rolled agonisingly wide. Ernesta went even closer in the 13th minute as he met Jocelyn’s floated free-kick with a towering header which crashed against the crossbar.

In the 15th minute, Dynamo should have opened the scoring as Ah-Kong dropped Botsoie’s cross to captain Evans Télémaque but the Anse Reunion goalkeeper produced a great block from point blank range to deny Télémaque.

Five minutes later, Ah-Kong was the Anse Reunion saviour as Botsoie back-heeled to captain Télémaque who cut inside a defender but his strong shot was pushed over the crossbar by the goalkeeper.

At the other end in the 28th minute, Norvil Gaspard and Ernesta played a brilliant one-two before crossing to Radegonde whose superb volley was deflected into corner.

A minute later from another Jocelyn free-kick, Yelvanny Rose fired a fierce shot at goalie Jules Monnaie who parried his shot.

The second half was also full of action and in the 51st minute, Todisoa fed Francis Moumou whose low shot was saved by Ah-Kong.

Anse Reunion took the lead in the 69th minute as Dynamo failed to clear a corner which Jocelyn picked up to release Ali. Ali then picked out Yelvanny Rose with a cross-field pass and his thumping header flew past Monnaie to make it 1-0.

Dynamo made a double substitution in the 75th minute as Marcus Maria and Jean-Alain Valentin came on for Dorothé and captain Télémaque. Four minutes later, the substitution paid dividends as Todisoa threaded a pass to Maria who bore on goal and was brought down by captain Armantal Ernesta. Referee Alistair Barra, who had a good game on Friday, pointed to the penalty spot and Steve Henriette stepped up to blast the ball past Ah-Kong to level matters at 1-1.
The goal gave Dynamo the motivation to push forward and in the 85th minute Henriette’s strong drive was pushed out by Ah-Kong.

Dynamo kept pressuring Anse Reunion and it required a brave save in injury time by the in form Ah-Kong to dive at the feet of Henriette to deny Dynamo victory.

R.J.L