Football: SeyPearl Mahé Premier League |05 December 2020

James Joseph (left) saved St Louis from defeat

St Louis fight back against Red Star Defence Forces to earn point

St Louis had to come from behind twice to salvage a 2-2 draw against Red Star Defence Forces in an enthralling match at Stad Linite on Thursday afternoon in the SeyPearl Mahé Premier League.

It would have been unjust if St Louis had lost their opening league match for this campaign as they were the better side for long periods in this match and had numerous chances to open the scoring as early as the second minute from Malagasy Tahiry’s short free kick to Headley Havelock whose deep cross was met by Karl Hall’s goal bound header which beat Red Star Defence Forces goalkeeper Raphael Moustache but Ahmed Maurice cleared on the goalline.

Eight minutes later, Danny Madeleine played a long ball to Nigerian striker James Joseph who headed at goal but goalkeeper Moustache did well to tip the ball over the crossbar and in the 17th minute, Madeleine picked out the same Joseph who glided past two defenders as he cut inside but flashed his low shot narrowly wide.

St Louis though gave away a goal against the run of play as they lost the ball in midfield and Malagasy Tojo surged forward and was brought down by Tahiry for a free kick on the edge of the penalty area and Malagasy Jocelyn Fenosoa drilled the ball low past Malagasy goalkeeper Michel who allowed the ball to roll under his body as he was slow to get down, to make it 1-0 for the army team.

St Louis though upped the tempo and on the half hour mark, Hall collected a half-cleared ball and smashed a 25-metre shot at goalkeeper Moustache who just managed to parry the ball.

The players of coach Michel Renaud duly levelled matters in the 40th minute through the persistence of Collin Bibi who resisted some strong challenge from Red Star Defence Forces skipper Andrew Onezia to set up Joseph who composed himself to plant the ball past goalkeeper Moustache for a 1-1 score at half-time.

St Louis were rattled early in the second half when in the 50th minute, goalkeeper Michel clattered into his captain Bertrand Esther as he cleared a high ball and in the process injured his defender who had to be replaced by Juninho Mathiot.

Six minutes later, there was another miscommunication between defender Damien Maria and goalkeeper Michel as the stand-in-captain flicked a long Red Star Defence Forces goal kick to his custodian but Jocelyn who was lurking pounced on the back header to re-direct it past goalkeeper Michel via the post to make it 2-1.

St Louis suffered another setback in the 62nd minute when defender Maria went to the ground with a leg injury and once again they had to reshuffle as midfielder Urri Bibi slotted alongside Mathiot in defence and in came Roddy Melanie in midfield.

St Louis were determined to get back in the match and Red Star Defence Forces just rode their luck in the 75th minute from a mêlée in their penalty area before Hall rolled the ball to Joseph whose shot was charged down by goalkeeper Moustache. The loose ball fell to substitute Hubert Jean who fired at goal but the Red Star Defence Forces goalkeeper made another point blank stop for a double save.

On the stroke of fulltime, St Louis had a worthy shout for a penalty from Karl Hall’s fierce shot from Collin Bibi’s pass which hit a defender’s hand but referee Kerens Yocette felt it was not worthy of a penalty.

But the official pointed to the penalty spot a minute later when he adjudged that Malagasy Noelson Jeannot had fouled striker Joseph with a tackle from behind as the Nigerian forward received substitute Malagasy Georges Kalo’s cross in the penalty area.

Joseph kept a cool head to stab the spot kick into the bottom corner to wrong foot goalkeeper Moustache to make it 2-2 and Joseph should have completed his hat-trick in the 96th minute when the Red Star Defence goalkeeper was rightly penalised for hanging on to the ball for too long to concede an indirect free kick. Hall rolled the ball into the path of Joseph but he blazed his shot over the crossbar from a good scoring position to leave the final score at 2-2 though St Louis coach Michel Renaud felt after the match that his team should have won this match which they had dominated for long periods but had gifted their opponents two goals due to poor communication in defence.

“We played well though we lacked creativity in the third area of the pitch against an opponent who had come to play for a draw with a packed defence and only two players forward. We dominated the match but failed to take our chances and a draw is satisfactory though we should have won,” St Louis’ coach Renaud told Sports NATION.

R. J-L.