Football: Barclays league division one-Anse Reunion, La Passe, St Michel win |26 July 2010

On Saturday, defending champions La Passe kept the challenge with a 3-0 win over St Francis, while St Michel also collected three points, cruising to a 4-1 win over St Roch. As for St Louis Suns, they could only manage a draw against LightStars on Praslin.

Anse Reunion edge Northern Dynamo

Anse Reunion should have won the match comfortably but in the end just managed to edge a rugged Northern Dynamo on Friday.
Dynamo though should have taken the lead in the seventh minute as Malagasy captain Asman Todisoa found himself in the clear but his fierce shot rattled the crossbar as Anse Reunion rode their luck.

Anse Reunion responded 13 minutes later as Norvil Gaspard linked up with Malagasy Milison Niasere who set up Yelvanny Rose but he blazed over the bar.

A minute later, Anse Reunion opened the scoring as Malagasy defender Jean Eddy Randriamihaja overlapped to exchange passes with Milison who released him and he fired low past goalie Jake Constant (1-0).

Anse Reunion were buoyant and in the 34th minute, Roderick Rose lofted a free-kick to his captain Jocelyn whose header was blocked by Constant’s legs.

Anse Reunion continued to create havoc and a minute later, Roderick Rose’s beautiful cross-field pass was chest-trapped by Yelvanny Rose whose volley came off the foot of a post to Milison who failed to tuck home the rebound as Dynamo defenders blocked his shot.

In the 40th minute, Todisoa had a decent chance but he flashed his header across goal from Tony Maria’s cross.
Anse Reunion still had the upper-hand and in the 42nd minute, Yelvanny Rose had a strong volley from Julius Adrienne’s cross deflected into corner.

On the stroke of half-time, Anse Reunion claimed for a penalty after Yelvanny Rose had headed to Jocelyn whose shot appeared goal-bound but was cleared by Collin Tirant. The Anse Reunion players claimed that the midfielder had cleared the ball with his hand, but referee Emile Fred was not convinced.

Dynamo showed more urgency in the second period and Evans Télémaque should have done better in the 58th minute from a flick-on from a throw-in but he miscued his volley from close range.

Five minutes later, Steven Côme fired a superb shot which flew agonisingly wide of goalie Ricky Rose’s post.
In the 72nd minute, substitute Marcus Maria latched onto a poor clearance with a shinned shot which hit the foot of a post with goalie Ricky Rose well-beaten.

Anse Reunion were really struggling to hold on to their lead and had to even replace Malagasy defender Eddy through injury.
Dynamo got their due reward in the first minute of injury time from Télémaque’s free-kick which deflected off the wall to wrong-foot Ricky Rose (1-1).

However, there was to be more drama in this match as substitute Philip Zialor, looking suspiciously offside, latched onto Adrienne’s long ball which defender Maurice Ahmed tried to handle but it still reached the Anse Reunion forward.  Zialor coolly slotted the ball past the advancing Constant to secure all three points for his team on a 2-1 score-line.

St Michel cruise to victory

St Michel cruised to a 4-1 victory over bottom-club St Roch at Stad Linite on Saturday.
Coach Ralph Jean-Louis’ team opened the scoring in the 10th minute from Nelson Laurence’s cross which Carl Hall managed to force over the goal-line despite the attempt of goalie Terence Lesperance to clear the danger (1-0).

St Michel went further ahead two minutes later from Malagasy Nestor Benahovy’s cross which captain Don Anacoura got a touch to and also defender Terry Créa (2-0).

However, captain Anacoura was soon replaced by Wilnes Brutus after suffering a nasty challenge.

As for the match, St Roch tried to make a fight of it and in the 15th minute Ted Bistoquet played a cross-field pass to Darrel Forte whose cracking shot flew inches wide from goalie Gino Melanie’s goal.

Five minutes later, St Roch’s Steve Télémaque, who tormented Samuel Henriette all afternoon, went down under the St Michel defender’s challenge and his teammates shouted for a penalty but referee Nelson Emile was not convinced.

St Michel still had the upper-hand and Bernard St Ange failed to lob Lesperance in the 32nd minute when he was clean through.

St Michel though extended their lead in the 41st minute after a good move involving Godfrey Denis who released Brutus whose cross was rammed home by Trevor Vidot for a 3-0 half-time score-line.

St Michel produced another good inter-change of play in the 55th minute as Hall linked up with St Ange whose inch-perfect cross was headed over by Brutus.

St Roch reduced the deficit in the 69th minute.  Displaying some brilliant footwork, Télémaque eluded a couple of defenders before squaring the ball to substitute Nelson Renaud who fired past Melanie (3-1).

Six minutes later Télémaque missed a gaping goal from Bistoquet’s cross which would have really shaken St Michel if he had scored.

St Michel though finished strongly and added a fourth goal in the 89th minute as Henriette linked up with substitute Lorenzo Mathiot whose cross seemed to sail out of play before returning into play and substitute Leeroy Corallie headed home from close range to make it 4-1, while the St Roch players complained to the officials about the flight of the ball.

Mathiot should have added his name to the score-sheet but his weak shot from close range was tipped over by Lesperance after Hall had released him following a superb run.

St Michel in the end finished off as comfortable winners whilst St Roch are still awaiting their first league victory.

La Passe beat St Francis

Defending champions La Passe bounced back from last week’s Airtel Cup semifinal disappointment to win 3-0 on home soil against St Francis.

Achille Henriette gave them the lead and captain Bruno Saindina made it 2-0 before the break.
Captain Saindina added a third goal for a final 3-0 score-line.

LightStars earn 1-1 draw with St Louis Suns

Ten-man LightStars just managed to claim a point against St Louis Suns on Praslin on Saturday.
St Louis Suns went ahead thanks to Fabien Cadence in the second half.

LightStars’ Renick Esther got himself sent off by referee Gonzague Boniface for two bookable offences – the latter for dissent.

However, Andrew Jean struck to level the score at 1-1 to claim at least a point for LightStars who lost the Airtel Cup final to St Michel in a penalty shootout.

R. J-L.