Barclays League division one-SMB battle to victory over Light Stars |05 July 2007

The match though started 30 minutes late as both teams were wearing red uniform and as home team SMB refused to change, Light Stars managed to acquire a yellow jersey.

But the match was worth waiting for as it contained everything from high drama and entertainment to controversy brought about by poor officiating.

Light Stars, who have started the league campaign brightly, were quick off the mark as Hugh Jeanne’s cross-field pass was rifled just wide by Renick Esther in the opening minute.

SMB responded four minutes later as Che Dorsamy and Colin Laporte combined to set up Joseph Marcelin who made a meal of his shot.

In the eighth minute, new Light Stars Kenyan striker Charles Otundu should have done better with a free header from Jeanne’s cross.

It was a game full of goalmouth actions and in the 14th minute, Marcellin pounced on a Jeanne error to centre to Roddy César who hit a post.

Five minutes later, SMB opened the scoring as Dorasamy flicked his header to Marcellin. The ball appeared a bit long but as goalie Denis Fideria was not watching the action, Marcelin pounced to round the Light Stars custodian and ram the ball home for a 1-0 lead.
Jeanne should have levelled matters just past the half-hour mark as Congolese Magnifique Ndikumana released Jeanne who looked suspiciously offside. Jeanne raced clear but shot weakly at goalie Joel Lesperance.

In the 35th minute, controversy loomed as Light Stars lost the ball. Laporte sent Marcellin galloping but he intelligently allowed the ball to roll to the overlapping Shaun Barbé. The ball rolled out of play but the officials failed to spot the infringement as the two linked up for Marcellin to centre to César who fired the ball past goalie Fideria to make it 2-0.

Light Stars raised the tempo and in the 40th minute Renick Esther missed a clear goal with a diving header after some good approach work by Jeanne.

On the stroke of half-time, Renick Esther was denied an apparently good goal by the officials who called for an offside after goalie Lesperance had spilled Otundu’s fierce shot and the young striker had tapped home the loose ball.

Light Stars kept on pressing to redress the balance and in the 48th minute Jeanne had a strong shot charged down and Renick Esther’s header was cleared.

SMB slackened their grip on their match in the second half as they pulled off Colin Laporte to rest him for next week’s match with St Michel and he was replaced by Brian Dorby who had returned after a short spell with La Passe.

Light Stars were given a life-line in the 58th minute from a Magnifique free-kick which sailed in at the far post with Kenyan Moses Wanyoike jumping for the ball with a defender which distracted goalie Lesperance for a 2-1 score.

Ten minutes later, there was again much controversy as substitute Serge Asba pulled back Jeanne who was clean through after having latched onto Magnifique’s filtered pass.
Referee Jean-Claude Labrosse spotted the mistake but to everyone’s surprise, he pointed to the penalty spot when the incident had occurred a few feet outside of the box. SMB’s protest was in vain. Wanyoike stepped up to thump the ball into the roof of the net to equalise at 2-2.

Stunned and furious, SMB rallied their troops as they re-asserted their control on the game.

In the 72nd minute, goalie Fideria made a great block to stop Dorasamy’s fierce shot from César’s corner from finding refuge at the back of the net. He had to receive treatment as a result of the power of the shot which had crashed to his chest.

In the 74th minute again Fideria came to his team’s rescue as he stood strong to charge down Marcellin’s powerful shot.

SMB were pushing for a winner and in the 78th minute, Dorasamy broke clear and despite being miles offside, which was not flagged, the SMB striker fired across goal with only goalie Fideria to beat. It was a bad miss though he made amends three minutes later amid more controversy.

Referee Labrosse stopped play for a clash between Jeanne who was brought down by Asba. But as the SMB full-back also went down yelling in pain, the official awarded the free-kick to SMB much to the disgust of Light Stars’ players.

Dorasamy drove the ball low into the wall but it took a wicked deflection and as Fideria had already gone down from the original shot, he failed to stop the ball from rolling over the goal-line to give SMB back the lead at 3-2.

The match ended in that manner despite a late surge by Light Stars in what was an end-to-end stuff.

Light Stars’ captain, Bernard Esther, bemoaned his team for conceding soft goals which cost them the match.

As for SMB’s Colin Laporte, he told Sports Nation that it had been a fiercely contested match which his team thought had been sewn up after a 2-0 lead. He added that his substitution was for precautionary measure as he is nursing a minor hip injury and was rested in view of their clash with St Michel next week.

R. J-L