Football: Airtel Cup final-Red Star wrestle cup from St Michel |21 June 2005

It is to note that the original fixture on June 4 was postponed due to bad weather.

Red Star who had camped at the Plantation Club Hotel in preparation for the match, drew first blood in the third minute as Wilnes Brutus lost his marker to set up former St Michel’s Malagasy player Clovis who was making his debut for his new team.

The diminutive striker only had to side-foot the ball into an empty net with the St Michel defence out of sorts.

St Michel responded in the ninth minute. Alex Nibourette galloped forward but he failed to put in a decent cross when two of his teammates were in the clear.

The boys of coach Mosa though looked far sharper and direct in their approach and in the 12th minute, Wilnes Brutus left the defence in his wake but instead of going for glory, he squeezed the ball to Clovis who was signaled offside as he hit the target.

In the 14th minute, St Michel drew level after some good work by tireless Joel Barbé who made room for himself on the right to swing in a perfect cross which Malagasy Leonni Nastinan headed low past goalie Joel Lesperance to make it 1-1.

The goal rattled Red Star who had looked solid before conceding the goal. In the 25th minute in another St Michel attack, Brian Gill centred to former Red Star striker Joel Barra who shot weakly from a good scoring position.

In the 26th minute, Red Star stunned St Michel as Wilnes Brutus’ pace allowed him to latch on to a through ball  to then thread a pass to Clovis who coolly rounded goalie Nelson Sopha to stab the ball into the net for a 2-1 lead.

In the 28th minute, Jeffrey Brutus exploited space on the left to pick out Clovis who should have completed his hat-trick but made a meal out of a very great chance.

As for St Michel, Don Anacoura had two decent opportunities but failed to make the most of them.

St Michel conceded a third goal on the stroke of half-time. Ted Radegonde played the ball forward and Wilnes Brutus got the better of both defenders Harry Libanotis and Danny César before rifling it low past goalie Sopha to give Red Star an unassailable 3-1 lead.

In the 50th minute, St Michel, who could not organise their defence, almost conceded a fourth from Barbé’s poor clearance but Jeffrey Brutus volleyed narrowly wide.

Just past the hour, Sopha had to race far off his line to clear the danger from the lurking Wilnes Brutus.

St Michel pulled off Libanotis to re-organise their defence but they did not have time to settle as in the 73rd minute, Taly produced a teasing cross which the unmarked Wilnes Brutus volleyed into the roof of net with goalie Sopha helpless (4-1).

St Michel had their pride at stake and this kept them going. In the 76th minute, they were slightly unlucky not to win a penalty as Nigel Freminot looked like holding back Nastinan who looked odds on to tuck home Barbé’s cross.

Two minutes later, St Michel’s substitute Nelson Laurence stole the ball from Freminot to centre to another substitute Marcel Labiche, who was playing despite a swollen ankle, but he miscued his volley.

At the other end, Wilnes Brutus, who was no doubt the man-of-the-match, went on a merry-go-round in the St Michel defence in the 85th minute before setting up Bernard St Ange whose shot sailed just wide.

In the 89th minute, Anacoura went on a mazy run to go past three players but his shot clipped the cross-bar. Anacoura made amends a minute later as he shot past goalie Lesperance who had spilled Nastinan’s drive (4-2).

Red Star though bounced back immediately as César brought down the irrepressible Wilnes Brutus inside the danger zone in injury time. Referee Jean-Claude Labrosse awarded Red Star a penalty and despite St Michel players’ protest, St Ange stepped up to beat Sopha with a low shot which went in via the post for a 5-2 scoreline.

Red Star’s coach Mosa was ecstatic after the match as his team had played very well.
“We had a very good first half and I would like to thank my players for a very good performance”, Mosa told Sports Nation.

As for Clovis, the two-goal hero, he said that he was eager to play in this final and was happy with his contribution for his new team.

St Michel’s coach Brian Uranie was gracious in defeat, saying “Red Star deserved to win as they played well. My team’s defence let us down in the final.”

The cups and medals were presented to the two teams by Minister Pool, Mr Chibber and the Seychelles Football Federation chairman Suketu Patel.

R. J-L.