Football: Barclays league division one-St Louis Suns rip apart SMB |08 August 2009

St Louis Suns made a couple of changes as goalkeeper Joel Lesperance was around to step into the boots of Eugene Valentin, who is a long-term injury victim, while Malagasy Hasinarivola Rijaniaina and Wilnes Brutus returned to the starting line-up.
They took only six minutes to break the deadlock as Mervin Mathiot fired past goalie Trevor Bill (1-0).

However, SMB’s physical style rattled St Louis Suns’ passing game as they tried to close down space.
SMB went close to equalising in the 23rd minute from Jean-Paul Aglaé’s free kick but captain Colin Laporte headed wide from a clear position.

St Louis Suns, though, put together a good move two minutes later as Fabien Cadeau fed Brutus, who outsped the defence before cutting the ball back to Mathiot, but he volleyed wide with the goal at his mercy.

In the 39th minute, Andy Mougal laid the ball to Ugandan Jimmy Kidega, whose pile-driver flew inches wide.
In the 42nd minute, Mathiot injured himself when he attempted another shot at goal and was replaced by Alpha Baldé.

St Louis Suns stunned SMB again in the 51st minute as Baldé’s attack was cleared to Jude Nancy, who let fly with a cracking 35m shot, which crashed into the roof of the net for one of the best goals of the season (2-0).

In the 54th minute, as SMB were distracted by the imminent substitution of Marty Fanny by Rannes Vel, who was waiting to enter, St Louis Suns’ Ted Radegonde took a quick throw-in to Brutus, who crossed to Baldé at the near post and he drove the ball home (3-0).

St Louis Suns then played some brilliant football as they exchanged passes and showed their quality, which must have delighted their fans, and Baldé was in the thick of most of those moves.

In the 58th minute, he produced some great play to release Rijaniaina, whose teasing cross was met by Brutus’ diving header, which flew agonisingly wide.

Nine minutes later, the same Baldé threaded a pass to Brutus, who rounded Bill but his shot came off the foot of a post.

In the 74th minute, Brutus hit the target to make it 4-0 after some intelligent approach play by Baldé to allow the former Red Star striker to rifle a left-footer past the injured Bill, who was replaced by Peter Toule a minute later.

Toule was called into action two minutes later as Brutus latched on to Baldé’s through pass, and he blocked the striker’s shot with his feet.

In the 85th minute, SMB reduced the arrears as Marcus Labiche linked up with captain Laporte, who weaved his way past a couple of tackles to shoot at Lesperance, who spilled the shot. Gerard Basset was on hand to drive the loose ball into the net for a 4-1 result.

St Louis Suns, though, were deserving winners, especially on their second-half display.

R. J-L.