Football: Airtel Cup |12 March 2005

Henriette scores four, Waye-Hive gets hat-trick in high-scoring weekend

Achille Henriette scored four times in La Passe’s 11-1 demolition of Northern Dynamo and Gervais Waye-Hive scored a hat-trick as St Michel hammered Côte d’Or 4-1 during a high-scoring weekend of football in the Airtel Cup.

LightStars surprised St Francis 3-1 and Anse Reunion thumped St Roch 4-1 as a total of 26 goals were scored in two days at three venues.

Ten-man St Michel turn the table on Côte d’Or

This was a repeat of last year’s Airtel Cup final and it brought down a very good crowd especially as St Michel had twice lost to these same opponents this season.

St Michel were eager to turn the tables on their bogey side Côte d’Or to increase their chances of reaching the semifinal while the Praslin-based team tried to avoid a second defeat in this group.

Côte d’Or almost shocked St Michel in the opening seconds as Malagasy Jean Tigana dispossessed Malagasy Hassan Aly to release Dine Suzette but St Michel goalkeeper Gino Melanie was quick off his line to cut out the danger.

St Michel though were in control of this match as they pressured the ball to knock Côte d’Or out of their rhythm.
In the 12th minute St Michel’s Malagasy defender Jimmy Radafison played a delightful long pass to captain Don Anacoura who controlled well in the penalty area but delayed his shot as he was crowded out in good scoring position.

A minute later, Nelson Laurence combined with Gervais Waye-Hive to set up Malagasy Jean Del’Or Tsaralaza but he shot over.  
St Michel were given a windfall in the 15th minute as Côte d’Or reserve goalkeeper Jean-Paul Lesperance took too long to clear Benoit Marie’s back pass allowing Waye-Hive to close him down and deflect his clearance into an empty goal to make it 1-0 much to the delight of the St Michel supporters.

Côte d’Or should have equalised in the 17th minute as Dine Suzette and Collin Esther exchanged passes before flashing a centre in the St Michel goalmouth to Gerald Basset but he made a meal of this opportunity.

St Michel were still menacing on the offensive and midway in this half Waye-Hive threaded a pass to captain Anacoura who fend off some strong challenges to shoot at goalkeeper Lesperance who was deputising for Kitson Cecile who has been banned for two matches. Lesperance just managed to turn captain Anacoura’s shot into corner.

In the 25th minute, St Michel stretched their lead as goalkeeper Lesperance again played a poor pass to his defender which captain Anacoura cut out to tee Alex Nibourette who blasted the ball into the roof of the net to make it 2-0.

Côte d’Or were not discouraged as they kept carrying the match to St Michel in a fast and frenetic last 15 minutes where both teams enthralled the crowd with some great football which was worth the entry ticket in itself.

St Michel had another gilt-edge opportunity in the 41st minute as Nibourette filtered a pass to Waye-Hive who was in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Lesperance who charged down his shot.
Côte d’Or had to throw caution to the wind in the second half and in the 53rd minute, Collin Esther played a teasing free-kick at the far post to former St Michel striker Marcus Labiche but he could not direct his header on target.

In the 61st minute, Collin Esther reduced the arrears as his toe-poke shot from 25m out caught goalkeeper Melanie by surprise as it sailed into the net for a 1-2 score.
St Michel had to re-shuffle their pack as the injured Del’Or had to be replaced and their captain Don Anacoura soon followed.

Côte d’Or were in slight control at this stage but were caught flat-footed in the 73rd minute as Allen Larue lofted a long free-kick to Waye-Hive who rose to head home past Lesperance to make it 3-1.

St Michel were reduced to 10 men when Laurence was shown a yellow card for a bizarre foul signaled by referee Kierens Yocette who otherwise had a decent game. The official seemed to be unaware that Laurence had been booked in the first half and was reminded by the Côte d’Or players which ensured he had no choice but to issue a red card, a really harsh decision which really annoyed the St Michel camp.

The defending Barclays league division one champions though were not to be denied their moment to show that they are back in business as they scored a fourth goal in the 79th minute after a swift counterattack. Nibourette galloped down the left flank to send an inch-perfect cross to Waye-Hive who diverted the ball into the top corner to complete his hat-trick as he made it 4-1 as his team avenged their defeat to Côte d’Or in style.

St Michel manager Andrew Jean-Louis was very pleased with his team’s performance after the match as he talked to Sports Nation.
“It was a good match between two top teams but we were the dominant side and we were rewarded for our hard work,” Jean-Louis said.

As for Côte d’Or coach Ahmed Abdou, he was slightly disappointed that his team had gifted their opponents two goals which made life difficult for them afterwards in this match.
“We gave away a soft first goal and then we were under pressure as our opponents were fired up to win this match,” Abdou said.

La Passe demolish Dynamo

Playing in front of their fans on La Digue on Saturday, La Passe continued their superb march in this competition as they demolished Northern Dynamo 11-1. It is the biggest win in this competition this season where La Passe captain Achille Henriette bagged four to inspire his team.

Dynamo were slightly handicapped with coach Cliff Nolin and goalkeeper Jules Monnaie unavailable for this trip to La Digue who was in celebratory mood.
Christian Fleischer replaced goalkeeper Monnaie but once Henriette had opened his team’s lead, it was one-way traffic as Henriette and Malagasy Valerie scored again in the first half before Dynamo’s Evans Télémaque got on the score sheet to make it 3-1.

However, Henriette and Malagasy Valerie scored twice in the second period as Jules Constance, Malagasy Jean De Dieu Tsimialona, Collin Bibi and Malagasy Fagnorena got one apiece in the 11-1 win.

LightStars shock St Francis

Praslin outfit LightStars shocked St Francis 3-1 to keep alive their slim hope of qualifying for the semifinal.

LightStars took the lead as Malagasy Mario Ravo scored early on and minutes later another Malagasy, Haja, increased the score to make it 2-0 at half-time.

St Francis reduced the deficit to 1-2 through Ryan Antat, but LightStars’ young midfielder Ian Vel added a third goal in the second half to give his team a 3-1 win to move them on seven points, just five behind second-placed St Louis Suns with two games remaining.

Anse Reunion surprise St Roch

La Digue-based Anse Reunion surprised St Roch 4-1 at Stad Linite on Friday to keep them in contention to qualify for the semifinal.

Ironically Anse Reunion had tried to postpone this match which was just after the Diguois had celebrated their patronal feast of Assumption on Thursday. However, St Roch had not agreed to this request which meant this match had to go ahead.

Anse Reunion therefore had to travel to Mahé and had only 11 players and surely St Roch fancied their chances but things did not work out their way on the field as they were in for a rude awakening.

Anse Reunion though rode their luck in the first minute of play as goalkeeper Jean-Paul Ah-Kong raced out of his goal to bring down St Roch’s Nelleri Maillet. Referee Egbert Havelock blew for a foul and St Roch demanded a straight red card for the goalkeeper from the official but Ah-Kong was not even booked.

Three minutes later, Anse Reunion again lived dangerously as Malagasy Jean Eddy played a poor back pass to goalkeeper Ah-Kong which Maillet intercepted but amazingly he shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

Anse Reunion then grew in stature after this early fright and in the 14th minute Malagasy Jules Rapiera’s dipping shot was just tipped over by goalkeeper Julio Toulon.
Two minutes later, Anse Reunion opened the scoring as Yelvanny Rose set up Stenio Ernesta whose shot crashed under the crossbar as it went in for a 1-0 lead.

A minute later, Anse Reunion stretched their lead as Yelvanny Rose’s long range effort was turned into corner by goalkeeper Toulon. Norvil Gaspard lofted the resulting corner which flashed off goal scorer Ernesta’s forehead to fall to Yelvanny Rose who buried home his header to make it 2-0.

St Roch cut the deficit on the stroke of half-time as Maillet bore on goal to rifle at goalkeeper Ah-Kong who spilled the ball to Roy Julie who tucked it into the net for a 1-2 score.

The second half promised more excitement as St Roch tried to redress the balance but were punished further in the 55th minute as Malagasy Rapiera threaded a beautiful pass to Stenio Ernesta who intelligently lobbed the advancing goalkeeper Toulon for a 3-1 score.

In the 64th minute, St Roch’s Leeroy Gomme forced a good save out of goalkeeper Ah-Kong with a raking free-kick.
St Roch substitute Nerick Athanase should have scored in the 75th minute from Malagasy captain Nestor Benahovy’s teasing cross but in the clear, he headed over.

Anse Reunion were still threatening on the attack and in the 77th minute, Gaspard skipped past Denis Belle to square the ball to Stenio Ernesta who shot across goal from close range.

In the 84th minute, Malagasy Jean Eddy floated a free-kick at the far post to the unmarked Yelvanny Rose whose thunderous header at the back post was just kept out by goalkeeper Toulon who was injured in the process but recovered to finish this match.

Anse Reunion sealed a great win in the 88th minute after a neat build-up. Yelvanny Rose sent an inch-perfect cross to Stenio Ernesta who headed past goalkeeper Toulon for a 4-1 scoreline much to the delight of coach Juel Ah-Kong.

R. J-L.