Football: First division league-St Michel inflict heavy defeat on St Louis |11 September 2006
On the same day on La Digue, defending champions La Passe maintained the challenge with a 2-1 victory against in-form Northern Dynamo, on Praslin SMB beat hosts Light Stars 1-0 and last Friday, bottom team The Lions edged Sunshine 3-2.
St Michel – St Louis
The match started on a bad note as St Louis’ Mervin Mathiot was sent off in the second minute for one of the quickest expulsions in local football. Referee Eddie Maillet brandished a red card when Mathiot retaliated after being fouled by St Michel’s Gary Robert.
According to St Louis’ coach Marc Mathiot, the decision was rather harsh and it affected his team’s play.
St Louis had their chances early on and in the 28th minute captain Achille Henriette slipped a pass to Trevor Poiret who in the clear forced a good save out of goalie Nelson Sopha.
On the half hour mark, Poiret and Tony Morel combined well to open up St Michel’s defence.
Poiret’s cross was almost turned into his own net by St Michel’s defender Denis Belle but goalie Sopha went scampering to push the ball out.
Belle received his marching orders two minutes later for a clumsy tackle on Henriette in full flow. It was the second crude foul on the same player and referee Maillet did not hesitate to show him his second yellow card and he was off.
St Michel’s play though improved in the latter stages and in the 34th minute after a mêlée in St Louis’ penalty area, Zialor’s fierce shot came off a post.
St Michel opened the scoring somewhat controversially in the 43rd minute as Don Anacoura burst through and St Louis’ goalie Eugene Valentin raced off his line to tackle him and the striker went flying in the box. Referee Maillet felt it was a penalty whilst many thought Anacoura had dived. Captain Godfrey Denis took the spot-kick and despite goalie Valentin guessing the right way, the ball rolled under his body for a 1-0 half-time score.
The second half was also as entertaining and in the 52nd minute Lorenzo Mathiot centred to the unmarked Henny Dufresne who should have scored but from point-blank range goalie Valentin denied him.
In the 55th minute, St Louis put a string of passes together as Henriette and Gervais Waye-Hive set up Tony Morel who raced on goal but as he was about to fire, Neddy Rose put in a great tackle to deny the striker.
St Michel extended their lead in the 75th minute from Anacoura’s free-kick. Goalie Valentin wrongly judged the flight of the ball allowing Alex Nibourette to head into an empty net.
Goalie Valentin was again at fault in the 77th minute as defender Marie had a long ball covered but he rushed out of goal and Zialor lobbed him to bring the score to 3-0.
Zialor completed the rout and his brace in the 88th minute as St Louis’ defence looked out of sorts. Nibourette’s teasing cross fell to the unmarked Zialor who had all the time in the world to shoot into a gaping goal to make it 4-0.
Manager Brian Uranie said that it was important to collect all three points in a very intense match.
As for St Louis coach Marc Mathiot he said he was disappointed with his team who gave away some easy goals. He felt the result is rather flattering for St Michel as his team had not been that bad to suffer their heaviest defeat to the Anse Aux Pins outfit.
La Passe maintain the challenge
La Digue-based La Passe came from behind to defeat in-form Northern Dynamo 2-1 on Saturday.
Northern Dynamo had silenced the home crowd as Malagasy Abdou Hassman gave his team the lead.
Tanzanian Rashid Mohamed though equalised for La Passe midway in the first half and early in the second, he secured all three points for his team by scoring the winner.
On the same day on Praslin, SMB kept up the pressure on struggling Light Stars. Serge Asba scored for SMB seven minutes from time to clinch all three points as Light Stars face relegation.
The Lions add to Sunshine’s troubles
Bottom-club The Lions added to Sunshine’s troubled season with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Stad Linite last Friday.
The Lions took the lead in the 18th minute as Kenyan Ezekiel Akatsa released Nicholas St Ange whose cross was met by captain José Julienne who beat goalie Vincent Euphrasie for a 1-0 lead.
Sunshine though drew level in the 23rd minute as Nerrick Athanase latched on to a long ball to centre to George Ravinia whose near post header flew past goalie Bernard Philoé.
The Lions restored their advantage in the 63rd minute as substitute Hendrick Labrosse’s cross was turned into his own net by Sunshine’s Steven Constance in his attempt to clear the danger.
In the 75th minute, The Lions guaranteed their second victory as Louise’ centre came off the unlucky Constance and Achille Hoareau was on hand to bury the loose ball for a 3-1 score.
Sunshine pressed forward searching to remedy the situation. In the 86th minute, goalie Philoé spilled captain Denis Barbé’s free-kick and in the mêlée that followed Sunshine claimed that the ball had crossed the goal-line but assistant referee Cedras was not convinced.
Sunshine reduced the deficit in injury time as goalie Philoé came way off his line to try and cut out a long ball but Athanase lobbed the advancing goalie to round off the score at 2-3.
The Lions’ coach Jean-Marc Benstrong said that it was a very good result for his team though they are still in a precaurious position at the bottom of the standings.
R. J-L.