Football: Barclays league division one-St Michel march on |25 July 2009

This eighth win in 10 league matches helped them open up a 12-point lead at the top of the league table.

However, LightStars almost surprised them in the first minute from Senky Vidot’s curling free-kick, which goalie Nelson Sopha came for but missed. The ball dropped to Joel Esther in the penalty area but he could not hit the target.

Two minutes later, Malagasy striker Mario Ravo went on a strong run, holding off three St Michel defenders, but he shot across goal.

St Michel responded in the seventh minute as Don Anacoura and Alex Nibourette combined before the former headed agonisingly wide.

Three minutes later, St Michel’s pressing game almost paid off as Philip Zialor and Anacoura exchanged passes to set up Nibourette, who fired over the crossbar from a tight angle.

A minute later, they broke the deadlock as Anacoura picked up a crossfield pass and easily glided past Hendrick Quatre and a few defenders to rifle a low shot past goalie Denis Fideria for a 1-0 lead.

LightStars almost levelled matters with a cleverly worked free-kick in the 18th minute between Collin Esther, who threaded the ball to Vidot. It required a last-ditch tackle by captain Godfrey Denis to deny him.

St Michel extended their advantage in the 35th minute after a couple of near misses. The goal came after a corner was half-cleared to Malagasy Nestor Benahovy, and Quatre struggled to cut out the danger. Benahovy lofted the ball back into the penalty area to Anacoura, whose header came off the bar. Francis Nourrice drove the loose ball into the net for a 2-0 lead.

In the 39th minute, LightStars’ Renick Esther should have cut the deficit from a glorious ball played by Malagasy Matiffa Tolojonahany over the defence. He left two defenders in his wake but made a complete mess of his shot, which was embarrassing as he had only Sopha to beat.

St Michel made them pay three minutes later as Nelson Laurence pounced on a loose ball to slip a pass to Anacoura, whose well-placed shot flashed past Fideria for a 3-0 half-time score.

Anacoura should have completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute as Zialor played a superb through ball to him, but he decided to round Fideria and his weak shot was cleared by Joel Esther.

On the hour mark, Benahovy filtered a ball to the galloping Nourrice, who reached it ahead of Fideria. He lobbed the goalkeeper but the ball was cleared by retreating captain Bertrand Esther.

LightStars gave themselves a lifeline in the 67th minute from Vidot’s long, searching ball which sailed over the St Michel defence. Renick Esther followed up to beat Sopha for a 3-1 score.

St Michel, though, weathered the storm and in the 72nd minute Benahovy picked out Zialor with an inch-perfect pass but he shot agonisingly wide.

A minute later following a good St Michel move, Zialor released Nibourette, whose thumping shot made it 4-1.

In the 85th minute, substitute Leeroy Corallie confirmed the emphatic win. The ball fell nicely for him from Nourrice’s cross, which had deflected off a defender, and he tucked it into the net for a 5-1 triumph as Lightstars claimed a non-existant offside.

R. J-L.