Football: Airtel Cup - The Lions, St Louis Suns, Anse Reunion win |11 August 2014

. La Passe held by Revengers

The Lions maintained top spot in group A of the Airtel Cup with a hard fought 2-0 victory over Northern Dynamo on Saturday at Stad Linite while on La Digue, La Passe were held 0-0 by Revengers in pool B. At the Amitié Stadium on Praslin, Anse Reunion snatched a 3-2 away win against LightStars and on Friday, St Louis Suns defeated St Francis 4-0.

The Lions maintain top spot

On Saturday, Northern Dynamo paraded their two new Ghanaian recruits, namely Leslie Lamptey and Robert Cofie but it was The Lions who outshone their opponents.

Dynamo had a half chance in the fifth minute of this highly entertaining match as Malagasy Valerie’s miscued corner kick fell to Lamptey but The Lions captain Gino Agathine cleared the danger.

Debutant Lamptey tried his luck in the 17th minute after collecting Warren Mellie’s pass to cut inside his marker but his tame shot failed to trouble goalkeeper Jerome Dingwall.

The game was lightened up on the half hour mark when The Lions’ Laurent Vel scored a cracking 35-metre shot which flew past Dynamo’s reserve goalkeeper Travis Cadeau for a 1-0 score.

The goal rattled Dynamo as they had to respond and two minutes later Damien Tamboo’s long throw-in was flicked on by Warren Mellie to Marcus Maria whose near post header appeared to hit a defender’s hand but their appeal for a penalty was turned down by referee Kierens Yocette.

In the 38th minute, The Lions threatened to score again as Vel’s crossfield pass was picked up by Brian Dorby who centred to Jude Nancy whose header was saved by goalkeeper Cadeau.

The second half began on a sad note though as Dynamo’s Warren Mellie appeared to have broken his arm as he went down under Christopher Derjacques’ challenge in the opening minute.  Mellie had to be stretchered to hospital with a suspected right arm injury and he was replaced by Steven Télémaque.

In the 48th minute, The Lions went close from Dorby’s corner kick which was met by captain Agathine’s strong header but goalkeeper Cadeau tipped the ball over the crossbar into corner.

Dynamo though showed more enterprise in this half and in the 53rd minute Malagasy captain Asman Todisoa linked up with Maria but his weak header was easily saved by goalkeeper Dingwall.

On the hour mark, Maria burst clear and his shot was pushed out by goalie Dingwall.
In the 71st minute as Dynamo pressed forward, they lost possession and Vel countered swiftly to release substitute Herizo Razaparany whose miscued shot fell to another substitute Dave Max. Max though delayed his shot and he was crowded out as the chance went begging.

Two minutes later The Lions struck on another break as Dave Max skipped past Collin Tirant to find acres of space as his cut back was met by Razaparany who forced a brilliant block by goalkeeper Cadeau but he could not stop the ball from crossing the line as assistant referee Steve Marie signaled to confirm the ball had crossed the line as Vel made sure it ended in the net for a 2-0 lead.

Dynamo brought their other Ghanaian player Cofie in the 82nd minute as they continued to drive forward but their only chance to reduce the arrears came in the dying seconds.

It all started from a mêlée in The Lions penalty area as Cofie set up Steven Télémaque whose shot was blocked by Dorby and the rebound fell to captain Todisoa but goalkeeper Dingwall charged down his strike to ensure his team keep a clean sheet in the 2-0 win to stay top in pool A.

La Passe held by Revengers

La Digue-based La Passe could only manage a 0-0 draw against Praslin side Revengers at the La Digue playing field on Saturday.
It was a frustrating match for La Passe who dropped vital points in pool B against the new boys in the first division.

Fagnorena double sees off LightStars

Anse Reunion edged LightStars 3-2 at the Amitié Stadium on Praslin on Saturday in a pool B match.

Former La Passe striker, Malagasy Fagnorena Farampin, opened his account as he gave Anse Reunion a 1-0 lead in the first half.

LightStars’ Andrew Jean though levelled matters minutes later as he made it 1-1 and then referee Emile Fred awarded the Praslin team a penalty. Malagasy defender Noelson Jeannot coolly tucked home the penalty to make it 2-1.
However, Hubert Ernesta levelled the score as the first half finished on a 2-2 score.
Fagnorena though scored a late winner for Anse Reunion as they registered an important away win.


St Louis Suns thrash St Francis

St Louis Suns thrashed St Francis 4-0 at Stad Linite on Friday evening in a pool A group match.
However, this was a match of two halves where St Louis Suns’ margin of victory in the end was rather flattering as they were poor in the first half.

In fact, St Francis had numerous chances to take the lead such as in the 20th minute from captain Harry Libanotis’ free kick which the St Louis Suns defence failed to clear. Jean-Yves Joseph sneaked in to hook the ball over goalkeeper Joel Lesperance but Danny Madeleine cleared on the goalline.

St Louis Suns, who struggled to find their rhythm, responded in the 22nd minute as Kazeem Sulaimon collected a long pass to release his colleague Kazeem Adeyeri but in the clear, he shot wide of goalkeeper Ian Ah-Kong’s goal.

In the 24th minute, St Francis again breached St Louis Suns’ defence as Stephan Esparon latched onto a through ball to beat goalkeeper Lesperance but captain Nigel Freminot cleared the ball on the goalline as the first half ended goalless.

St Louis Suns started better in the second half and in the 47th minute Henny Dufresne picked out debutant Patrick Bonne on the right and his shot had to be cleared by Malagasy defender Malamo Ducaud.

Bonne again went close in the 54th minute from a short free kick by Adeyeri which goalkeeper Ah-Kong, who had returned to St Francis after a short spell this season with St Louis Suns, pushed out.

In the 59th minute, Dufresne threaded a pass to Sulaimon who burst clear to chip goalkeeper Ah-Kong but Ducaud was alert to stop the ball from crossing the line.

St Louis Suns continued to pile the pressure and got a deserved breakthrough in the 70th minute after Sulaimon was pulled down on the edge of the penalty area and was awarded a free kick by referee Elzea Michel.  Sulaimon picked himself up to curl the ball low into the far bottom corner to make it 1-0.

Two minutes later, Sulaimon left defender Jude Barra in his wake with a burst of speed but his attempted lob was disappointed as it sailed wide.

St Louis Suns increased their lead somewhat controversially in the 75th minute as Denis Barbé floated a free kick in the penalty area where Adeyeri was yards offside but assistant referee Hansley Petrousse did not flag allowing the Nigerian striker to head home for a 2-0 score as the St Francis team contested the goal with the official but to no avail.

In the 84th minute, Ducaud cost his team another goal as he lost possession to Sulaimon who squared the ball to substitute Kelly Nibourette who easily tapped in for a 3-0 lead.

Dereck Agathine saw his thunderous long range effort crash against the crossbar in the 86th minute as St Louis Suns went for more goals.
St Louis Suns sealed St Francis’ fate in the 89th minute as substitute Roddy Melanie darted into the penalty area before pulling the ball back to Sulaimon who made no mistake from close range to complete his brace and a 4-0 victory for his team.

R. J-L.