Football: Barclays league division one-Mougal nets hat-trick to push St Michel closer to retaining title, Quincy relegated |05 November 2012
The league table though has taken a massive change this weekend in view of Anse Reunion losing 15 points and La Passe six for allegedly fielding illegal players.
In this long running saga, it appears that a panel had given this verdict to the executive committee which approved this ruling and as the two teams have appealed this decision, the SFF decided not to go on with its ruling (see separate story on page 18).
St Michel v Anse Reunion
On Saturday at Stad Linite, Andy Mougal inspired 10-man St Michel with a hat-trick in this crucial match which started catastrophically for them as goalkeeper Nelson Sopha was controversially sent off with only 45 seconds on the clock to become one of the quickest
Goalkeeper Sopha was harshly punished by referee Jean-Claude Labrosse after Anse Reunion kicked off the start of play with a long ball forward. St Michel defender Dereck Agathine miscued his clearance to let in Hubert Ernesta who threaded a pass to young Nickerro Marie who tried to round goalkeeper Sopha but was just caught by the latter’s foot as he staggered to remain on his feet.
But Marie lost his momentum to score as he was crowded out and it was then that referee Labrosse blew his whistle to award a penalty but more surprisingly flashed out a straight red card much to the amazement of the St Michel players who could not believe their eyes while the supporters were furious with the official who had dished out a double punishment on their team.
After that it took a while before calm was restored and St Michel coach Vivian Bothe rightly pulled off young midfielder Leeroy Mathiot and brought in goalkeeper Gino Melanie to face the penalty.
Anse Reunion Malagasy captain Hassan Ali stepped up to coolly slot the ball low into the net to make 1-0 in the fourth minute.
St Michel though picked themselves up after this disappointment and did score in the ninth minute as Malagasy Jean Del’Or Tsaralaza pounced on a defensive error by Romeo Radegonde to release Mougal who rifled the ball into the net but the goal was somehow disallowed for a dubious offside decision by assistant referee Stephan Dugasse.
St Michel continued to prod for an opening and Del’Or wasted a good chance in the 20th minute as he shot wide when he was in the clear.
In the 29th minute, there was no denying St Michel’s fightback as Gervais Waye-Hive sent in an inch-perfect cross to Mougal who out-jumped a couple of defenders to head the ball through goalkeeper Jean-Paul Ah-Kong’s legs for a 1-1 score.
Seven minutes later, St Michel went ahead after a sweeping move instigated by captain Don Anacoura who fed Alex Nibourette on the left and his teasing cross was drilled home by Del’Or to make it 2-1.
St Michel should have added a third on the stroke of half-time as Anse Reunion goalkeeper Ah-Kong spilled Waye-Hive’s cross into the path of Nelson Laurence but he blazed his shot over the crossbar from close range.
St Michel continued to enjoy the lion share of possession in the second period and in the first minute of this half Nibourette rifled in Waye-Hive’s cross but goalkeeper Ah-Kong just managed to charge down the ball.
Ah-Kong was lucky to receive only a yellow card in the 51st minute as he raced out to challenge but fouled Del’Or in the process as the striker should have lobbed him seconds earlier.
In the 63rd minute, Del’Or was rather selfish as he latched onto a through ball to skip past Shaun Barbé but he delayed his cross to the unmarked Mougal allowing Barbé to recover and tackle him for a corner.
Del’Or though forced a good tip-over save from goalkeeper Ah-Kong in the 72nd minute from Waye-Hive’s deep corner and his dipping header was heading for goal before the Anse Reunion’s custodian’s timely intervention.
In the 80th minute, the St Michel camp were furious with the official as he failed to send off goalkeeper Ah-Kong who again raced way off his goal-line to battle for the ball with Nibourette but then brought down the midfielder for a cynical foul but referee Labrosse only awarded a free-kick.
Anse Reunion, who had played second fiddle to St Michel for most of the match, should have levelled matters in the 84th minute from a swerving free-kick by captain Ali which sailed over St Michel’s defence to the unmarked Romeo Radegonde but he headed wide.
St Michel punished them a minute later as they pressed high up the field to win possession and captain Anacoura filtered a pass to Mougal who was about to be substituted but had remained on the pitch as Leeroy Corallie had turned down the chance to replace him claiming he was not feeling well. Mougal seized the opportunity to bore on goal and released a thunder bolt which went in via the post for a 3-1 lead which brought a big sigh of relief from the St Michel supporters as they celebrated in the stands.
In the 86th minute, Mougal completed his hat-trick as he latched onto captain Anacoura’s lobbed ball, twisted and turned before shooting home to make the score read 4-1.
Anse Reunion should have reduced the arrears a minute later as Malagasy substitute Hugo Sezou collected a through ball but somehow he could not direct his shot on target as St Michel recorded a hard fought victory in difficult circumstances and will probably need only a point in their last match against LightStars to be crowned champions as it is very unlikely that second placed Côte d’Or can improve their goals tally in their final round of matches.
La Passe v St Louis Suns
La Passe took a two-goal lead courtesy of a brace by Malagasy Fagnorena in the second half against St Louis Suns, but Fabien Cadeau scored with a beautiful free-kick late in the match as the La Digue side won 2-1 at home on Saturday.
Lightstars v St Francis
This was a crucial bottom-of-the-table battle as the winners would move off the play-off spot.
LightStars though had more to play for as if they were to lose this match, they faced the prospect of relegation in the event Quincy win their last match.
LightStars therefore went all out for a win and they were helped with a goal from Andrew Jean to settle their nerves.
Ryan Antat levelled matters before the break for St Francis who had former LightStars midfielder Malamo Ducaud sent off by referee José Pillay who showed a straight red for an alleged elbow.
Fabien Albert scored the winner for LightStars to leapfrog St Francis into eighth position on the league table as well as relegate Quincy. St Francis’ captain Ronny Monthy was also sent off late in the match much to the disgust of the Baie Lazare-based team who made their frustrations known to the official
As for St Francis they are now in ninth place in the league standings.
Quincy hold St Roch to draw but relegated
Bottom club Quincy held St Roch to a 1-1 draw at Stad Linite on Friday but were still relegated after LightStars won on Saturday.
It was a match that Quincy had to win and they started brightly and in the fourth minute Charles de Clarisse galloped down the right to elude a couple of defenders but he shot across goal with no one close to connect.
St Roch responded two minutes later as Malagasy Freddy Armand’s shot on the turn forced a good save out of goalkeeper Trevor Bill.
Quincy’s Michel Joubert had two decent chances to open the score. In the 11th minute, he burst through but failed to hit the target and five minutes later he took the wrong option. Instead of setting up his teammate, he went for glory and shot wide.
St Roch punished them for their miss two minutes later as Steven Télémaque picked up a long ball to cut inside De Clarisse and lay the ball to Malagasy Armand who buried his shot in the net for a 1-0 lead.
From the restart, Quincy’s Jerry Freminot tried to surprise goalkeeper Julio Toulon with a long range effort but the St Roch custodian was alert to the danger.
Three minutes into the second period, Télémaque nearly increased St Roch’s lead as he collected a long pass and produced a curler which crashed against the post. Dan Pharce tried to bundle the ball over the goal-line but fouled goalkeeper Bill.
In the 55th minute, Quincy should have levelled matters as Freminot raced clear but he blazed his shot over the cross bar.
Télémaque again was denied by the woodwork in the 71st minute as his curling shot ricocheted against the crossbar as Quincy rode their luck.
Quincy were rewarded for their persistence in the 87th minute as Ryan Dugasse exploited space in St Roch’s defence to square the ball to Nicole Esther who fired past goalkeeper Toulon to make it 1-1.
Two minutes later, Quincy should have stolen all the points from George Ravinia’s corner which fell to Freminot but he shot straight at Toulon with the goal at his mercy.
R. J-L.