Football: Airtel Cup-SMB return to winning ways |23 May 2009

The match will be remembered for the return to action of Che Dorasamy from a two-year ban for allegedly assaulting an official. The striker was given back his playing licence after he personally appealed to the Seychelles Football Federation for a pardon. He still had four months of his ban remaining.

Foresters took the lead in the 35th minute from Leeroy Gomme’s free-kick, which Derick Figaro headed into the net (1-0).

The goal shook SMB out of their lethargy and Evans Samedi wasted two half-chances before half-time to equalise.

The second half was a much better affair, and in the 47th minute SMB’s Gerald Basset produced a super cross but Deron Marcel failed to connect to trouble goalie Oscar Constance.

In the 59th minute, Kevin Quatre tested Constance with a long-range effort, which he just managed to scramble for a corner.

Three minutes later, SMB levelled matters from Jean-Paul Aglaé’s lofted free-kick into a crowded penalty area which flew into the net (1-1).

Ian Mellie almost restored Foresters’ lead in the 65th minute as he found space behind SMB’s defence but he shot weakly at goalie Trevor Bill.

Dorasamy was brought on in the 67th minute to bolster his team’s attack and 10 minutes later, another substitute, Yannick Julie, forced a good save out of Constance with a long-range shot.

Dorasamy should have got his name on the scoresheet in the 75th minute but he somehow headed wide a great chance from Aglaé’s deep cross when he was clearly unmarked.

Four minutes later, SMB went ahead as Julie crossed to Basset and his downward header beat both Constance and a defender to make it 2-1.

In the 85th minute, SMB sealed their win as Dorasamy raced clear to cut the ball back to Basset, who missed his shot but, luckily for him, the ball was diverted by Colin Laporte past Constance for a 3-1 score.

However, Laporte was clearly offside, which was not signalled by assistant referee Steven Marie.

The win will surely help to erase the embarrassment of SMB’s 8-1 thumping by St Michel last week and also boost their chance of qualifying for the semifinals.

R. J-L.