Football: Barclays first division league-Anse Réunion off to good start |28 May 2007
ANSE RÉUNION started their division one title defence with a 1-0 home win against Light Stars on Saturday on La Digue and at Stad Linite on the same day, St Michel overcame Red Star 2-0 in an eastern derby. Last Friday at Stad Linite, Airtel Cup losing finalists St Louis Suns United got a late goal in a 1-0 victory against Foresters.
Anse Réunion 1 …Light Stars 0
Playing in front of their home crowd a week after claiming their first Airtel Cup, defending league champions Anse Réunion edged Grand Anse Praslin-based Light Stars 1-0 on Saturday.
Scorer of a hat-trick against La Passe in the Airtel Cup semifinal, Yelvanny Rose netted the only goal of the match in the 35th minute to earn his team all three points.
St Michel 2 … Red Star 0
After shooting narrowly wide in the eighth minute, Malagasy Pascal rattled the Red Star cross-bar with a fierce 12th minute shot after being fed by colleague Clovis who limped off in the 27th minute and was replaced by Don Anacoura. St Michel felt the ball had crossed the goal-line but referee Gonzague Boniface waved play on.
In the 39th minute, Red Star’s goalie Patrick Asba had to leave his goal-line to deny Malagasy Pascal who had been released by Nelson Laurence.
In the 50th minute, St Michel’s goalie Nelson Sopha had to thwart the threat of Joel Barra who had out-sprinted Garry Robert.
St Michel duly went ahead in the 56th minute after some good approach work by Laurence before Philip Zialor and Pascal exchanged passes. The ball dropped to Anacoura who rifled low on the turn to beat goalie Asba for a 1-0 lead.
The goal forced Red Star on the offensive and in the 59th minute Julius chipped a pass to Mickey Songoire whose powerful header was just off target.
St Michel continued to press for a second goal and in the 67th minute after a mêlée in the Red Star penalty area, Alex Nibourette fired at point blank range but goalie Asba produced a great finger-tip save to push the ball onto the cross-bar.
In the 84th minute, St Michel sealed their victory as Malagasy Pascal, who left yesterday for African duty with the Madagascar national team, picked up a ball from just inside the Red Star half and headed for goal. He held off the challenge of captain Nigel Freminot to lob the advancing goalie Asba to make it 2-0.
Zialor twice had gilt-edged chances to extend St Michel’s lead but was foiled by goalie Asba.
Red Star’s coach Mosa moaned the lack of manpower which is hampering his team’s performance.
As for St Michel’s manager Brian Uranie, he felt his team deserved victory as they enjoyed plenty of possession.
St Louis Suns 1 … Foresters 0
St Louis Suns United’s new Congolese striker Jonathan Mbanze scored an all-important goal to save his team’s blushes against Foresters at Stad Linite last Friday.
Foresters though will surely feel they deserved better as they caused St Louis Suns United a few problems in the first half as well as limit their opponents time to settle on the ball.
Foresters should have taken the lead in the 16th minute as former St Louis player Denis Zialor did well to release Andrew Figaro who allowed goalie Eugene Valentin to deny him by diving at his feet.
St Louis Suns United found it hard to get their passing game going and only came close to breaking the deadlock in the 36th minute as Alpha Baldé pour forward to link up with Achille Henriette who set up Mbanze but Foresters’ Jason Fred cleared the danger in the nick of time.
In the 44th minute, Foresters’ Denis Marie rounded defender Ted Esther, St Louis Suns United’s best player last Friday, but his goal-bound shot was deflected into corner. From the resulting corner lofted by Andy Sarah, Zialor shot against the cross-bar following a mêlée in the St Louis Suns United penalty area.
St Louis Suns United improved in the second half and in the 49th minute, Esther tested Foresters’ goalie Joel Jean from Malagasy Ralida’s free-kick.
Five minutes later, Baldé picked himself up after being fouled a long way out and his blistering free-kick was pushed onto a post by goalie Jean.
It was all St Louis Suns United late in the second half as they laid siege to Foresters defence.
In the 72nd minute, Baldé floated a corner which Esther met with a header but it was cleared on the goal-line.
In the 84th minute, St Louis Suns United finally got lucky as substitute Norvil Gaspard played a ball across goal as he tried to intercept substitute Mervin Mathiot’s cross. When Foresters’ Malagasy defender Robert Edmond, who had been superb all afternoon, failed to control the ball, the lurking Mbanze fired at goalie Jean, who, despite getting a touch, could not stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.
St Louis Suns United’s coach Marc Mathiot was happy with the three points against what he claimed to be a difficult opponent who tried to stop them playing their free-flowing football.
R.J-L