Football: Barclays league division one-LightStars edge The Lions, St Michel demolish Dynamo |21 March 2011

Also on Saturday, Anse Reunion and St Louis Suns shared the points in a 2-2 draw on La Digue and leaders La Passe dropped their first points on Praslin against Côte d’Or in a 1-1 tie.

LightStars edge The Lions

Despite the loss, the Lions showed marked improvement and even deserved a share of the points after fighting back from falling behind very early in the match.

In fact, LightStars went ahead in the fourth minute as Andrew Jean tapped in a decent cross by Malagasy Mario Elvis Ravo for a 1-0 lead.

In the 22nd minute, Renick Esther played a long ball forward to Malagasy Loe Lahimpira whose control let him down in a good scoring position.

The Lions also had a decent chance in the 27th minute as LightStars cleared a ball straight to Dean Suzette whose volley was well stopped by goalie Jean-Paul Lesperance.

On the half hour mark, Suzette had a better chance after captain Jones Joubert had overlapped to fire at Lesperance who spilled the shot. Suzette failed to drill home the loose ball much to the surprise of his teammates.

The Lions had taken the ascendancy at this stage and Suzette redeemed himself on the stroke of half time. The striker combined with Michael Ernest who played a nice pass in his path and he beat Lesperance at the near post to level the score at 1-1 and his goal was The Lions’ first this season in the top flight.

LightStars should have re-established their lead in the opening seconds of the second period as Malagasy Loe out-sped the defence but he missed the target with the goal at his mercy.

The Praslin team missed another sitter in the 53rd minute as Jean floated a cross in the box but Malagasy Ravo miscued a clear header.

Three minutes later at the other end, The Lions’ Nicolas St Ange almost gave his team the lead with a glancing header from Dave Max’s free-kick but Lesperance pulled off a great save.

The Lions did take the lead in the 63rd minute from Michel Joubert’s cross-cum-shot which sailed over Lesperance and rolled over the goal-line for a 2-1 score.

The Lions should have increased their lead three minutes later as Randolph Lablache latched onto a through ball to lift it over the advancing Lesperance. But the ball rolled agonisingly wide with no one to connect at the far post.

LightStars had to raise their game and they levelled matters in the 71st minute from a free-kick on the penalty edge. Jean thumped a cracking and unstoppable shot into the far corner to make it 2-2.

In the 74th minute, LightStars Loe ran onto Jean’s filtered pass but shot straight at goalie Jerome Dingwall.

Seconds later, as LightStars pressed The Lions, Jean should have completed his hat-trick but saw his fierce shot come off the post with Dingwall well beaten.

LightStars regained the lead in the 77th minute from another blistering free-kick by Jean which Dingwall only parried.  In the impending mêlée, Renick Esther blasted the ball from the penalty edge into the roof of the net for a 3-2 lead.

LightStars were denied a blatant penalty as Malagasy Ravo chased a long ball to get the better of Robinson Cadeau who pulled him down but the official allowed play to go on.

Jean once again had a gilt-edged opportunity to score his third as he bore on goal but one on one with Dingwall, he allowed The Lions custodian to deflect his shot into corner as LightStars secured their first win of the season.

St Michel demolish Dynamo

Northern Dynamo had a mini-crisis as they did not have a goalkeeper for this match and Egbert Havelock was recruited to replace the injured Jules Monnaie.

However, Havelock did not help their cause as he was slow to react to Joel Barbe's 27th minute long range shot from Gervais Waye-Hive’s corner, allowing the ball to hit the target for a 1-0 lead. It was a rare goal for St Michel’s hardworking defender Barbé who does not get the recognition he deserves at times.

The other noteworthy effort of the rather poor first half came in the 33rd minute as Malagasy Fulgence Rajaoniary latched onto a long ball to square to Francis Nourrice who slipped and fell over in a good scoring position.

St Michel though were quick off the mark in the second period. In the 47th minute, Waye-Hive found space to centre to Nourrice but the ball dropped to Fulgence who opened his account (2-0).

But it seemed that St Michel had opened the floodgate as two minutes later, Waye-Hive put in a superb corner and Nelson Laurence sneaked in at the near post with a powerful header which flew narrowly off target. On the hour mark, Carl Hall released Nourrice who shot wide from a great scoring position.

Dynamo though tried to fight back and in the 62nd minute Elvis Julius crossed to Malagasy Asman Todisoa whose near post shot hit the foot of the post as St Michel rode their luck.

St Michel went further ahead in the 63rd minute as Nourrice ran onto a loose ball before back-heeling to Hall whose raking shot somehow slipped through Havelock’s fingers for an embarrassing goal (3-0).

A minute later, Waye-Hive pounced onto a through-ball to shoot at Havelock who failed to stop the shot (4-0).

St Michel stretched their advantage in the 71st minute from Fulgence’s corner which Allen Larue met with a strong header (5-0) and they put the icing on the cake in the 83rd minute from a quick free-kick by substitute Alex Nibourette to Fulgence who shot low (6-0).

Anse Reunion held by St Louis Suns

Anse Reunion shared the points with St Louis Suns in a 2-2 draw on La Digue on Saturday.
Visitors St Louis Suns opened the score through Fabien Cadeau, but Anse Reunion replied through Roderick Rose’s penalty. 

The home team even took the lead through Norvil Gaspard, making it 2-1 at half-time.

St Louis Suns pressed for an equaliser in the second half and it was left to Jonathan Bibi to equalise from the penalty spot for a 2-2 score.

Côte d’Or hold La Passe

League leaders La Passe were held to a 1-1 draw by a determined Côte d’Or on Praslin as coach Ahmed Abdou faced his former teammates.

Yelvanny Rose gave La Passe a 1-0 first half lead but an own goal by Joel Esther in the second half ensured a share of the points.

Rick Bibi scored for Côte d’Or but his effort was disallowed by referee Emile Fred.

R. J-L.