Updated 31^st March 2008

ENJOYABLE WIN Red Star emerged as winners in a highly enjoyable match against Metz reserves at Bauer on Saturday evening. With both sides opting to play open flowing football, the game was pleasant on the eye and the game was capped by a superbly-taken goal from returning striker Noël Moukila. A little lofted pass from Moussa Ouattara into the penalty area found Moukila who volleyed an unstoppable shot past the excellent Joris Delle, Frances' under 18s international goalkeeper. Metz played a passing game, but inexperience left several huge gaps at the back and the visitors had to be grateful to their young prodigy goalkeeper for keeping the score dwn to 1-0. ELSEWHERE IN THE CFA Croix de Savoie reduce the gap between Besançon and themselves to one point following their win against Nancys' reserves whereas the leaders could only draw at Epernay, a side in need of points in the fight against relegation. Epernay – Besançon : 0-0 Saint-Priest – Raon-l’Etape : 2-1 Epinal - Sochaux B : 0-2 Auxerre B – Belfort : 2-1 Lyon B - Strasbourg B : 0-0 Montceau-les-Mines - Vesoul : 2-1 Croix de Savoie - Nancy B : 2-1 Jura Sud Foot – Mulhouse : postponed LUDOVIC FARDIN The injury to Red Stars' influential midfielder appears to be less serious than was first feared. Fardin limped off in the second half with a thigh injury, but following treatment from Red Stars' medical team, hopes to be back in action for next weekends' trip to Mulhouse. Ludovic is a postman by trade and has to get up extremely early in the morning for work, and added to a long away trip his day can be extremely long. Ludovic Fardin receives treatment at Bauer on Saturday THE ENGLISH CONTINGENT As well as loyal Red Star and Dulwich Hamlet supporter Mishi, Londonien Jimmie and his son were at Bauer on Saturday evening for the Metz game. Hope you enjoyed the game, lads, and hope to see you soon at a Red Star game ! NEWS ROUND-UP The draw for the quarter finals of the Coupe de Paris takes place tomorrow evening. Red Star go into the hat hopingto avoid last seasons' winners Poissy as well as Ivry, the club that eliminated Red Star from the Coupe de France this season. Red Stars' reserves lost 0-4 at Neauphle le Château yesterday and are rooted firmly to the bottom of the league. Now it will take a miracle of they are to avoid the drop after only one season at this level. On the positive side, Red Stars' under 18s won on their travels, beatng ACBB 3-1. With leaders Créteil and Sannois-Saint-Gratien both losing, this turned out to be a good weekend for coach Sébastien Roberts' charges. Elsewhere the Under 13s drew 1-1 with Paris FC.

Updated 26^th March 2008

ROUND-UP Since the debacle at Raon l'Etape, Red Star have played two more championship gmes as well as a Coupe de Paris tie, and have a record of two draws and one victory respectively in these encounters. On the 15th of March Red Star were at home to lowly Belfort, a club that had earlier this season beaten coach Naidons' men. It looked as if a repeat was on the cards as deep into first-half stoppage time Belfort took the lead. However, with sixty seven minutes gone Taimmy Negreche was hauled down in the penalty area and the resulting spot kick was duly put away by Lefort on the second attempt, the first having being ruled out due to encroachment into the eighteen yard box. Unfortunately the gale ended on a sour note for Red Star when Eric Lacomat was shown red for thumping a Belfort player. On the subject of suspensions, for which Lacomat will have to serve at least one match, the verdicts handed out to the recalictrant three at Raon were - Loïc Ghili three matches, Ludovic Fardin and Eugène Kangulungu will sit out the Vesoul game, with one match suspended sentance each. Lacomat would also have missed the Vesoul game through three yellow cards, but with the early bath received at Bauer this could mount to two or three games missed. Bouzid Yosri in action against Belfort Present at the Belfort game were two supporters of HFC Chemie from Halle in Germany, over in Paris for the weekend and before the game they visited Bauer to pick up some souvenirs of their visit. Next up, Red Star travelled to Vesoul and their plastic pitch to face one of the front-runners of the group, whom have in recent weeks slipped off the promotion race somewhat. After only twelve minutes Red Star were off to a dream start, Yannick Berthier smashing the ball into the roof of the net. Red Star then failed to capitalise upon the good start, squandering numerous chances, before allowing the leagues' top scorer José a little too much space with ten minutes remaining and so the trip east in snowy conditions only resulted in a 1-1 draw for Red Star. Yannick Berthier celebrates his goal Red Stars' youngsters were in internation action recently, due in some part to the long Easter lay-off. The under 18s lost 1-0 to a team from Osaka, Japan and the under 11s played a team from Montreal in Canada as part of a tournament at the Stade Joliot Curie. Red Stars' under 11s pose with their counterpart from Montreal, Canada Red Stars and Osaka, Japan, under 18s On Easter Monday Red Star made the short trip to play Conflans Sainte-Honorine in the Coupe de Paris. An early goal from Bouzid Yosri was enough to decide the outcome of the encounter, played under freezing rain. Elsewhere in the competition holders Poissy and last years' beaten finalists Ivry both progressed through to the last eight. Bouzid Yosri (white shirt), Red Stars' cup goal scorer at Conflans Finally a mention for TV commentator Thierry Gilardi, who passed away yesterday at the age of 49, due to a heart attack. Gilardi was due to commentate on the France v England friendly game this evening at the Stade de France. Our condeolancies to his family and entourage.

Updated 10^th March 2008

THREE OFF AS RED STAR SLUMP. Red Star had three men sent off at Raon l'Etape in the Vosges region of France on Saturday evening, eventually going down 1-0 to a late late goal. Despite appearances the game was not a dirty one - note also that all the cards handed out were to Red Star players and none of the locals were booked. The theme of the afternoon was set out as early as the second minute when Grég Lefort put the ball in the Raon net only to have his effort ruled out for an imaginary offside, this after the man in the center with the whistle had pointed to the centre circle, at first accepting the goal. However a very late linesmans' flag cancelled out Leforts' strike. The first yellow card came six minutes later for Lacomat, a foul on Bottin. Moussa Ouattara was the next to go into the book, and Grég Lefort followed on the half hour. Just before the half time break, Ludovic Fardin saw yellow but Loïc Ghili saw red immediately after for saying something to the referee. Despite the numerical inferiority the game was not lost for Red Star, who were still looking the more dangerous of the two sides. Just after the restart for the second half captain Eugène Kangulungu became the fifth Red Star player to be booked. Then on sixty three minutes the game started to seriously degenerate when Ludovic Fardin became the second Red Star player to take an early bath. With twelve minutes remaining the referee game one final helpming hand to Raon when Kangulungu copped his second booking and went off to sample one of the legendary Eddie Warings' early baths. Even before this, at nine men Taimmy Negreche had a glorious chance to give Red Star the lead but Raons' goalkeeper was up to the challenge and kept the ball out of his net. Finally the ultimate insult, the goal with two minutes remaining. Carvigan capitalizing on some free space despite a brilliant save by Djidonou. Raon proceded to take off a striker and put on a defender for the final stages of the game, resorting to passing the ball amongst themselves in order to retain their advantage. A sorry end to a poor evening. After the game there were some minor inidents in the players' tunnel, mostly involving former Red Star favourite Azzedine Benmesmoudi, now plying his trade at Raon. Usually when former players come up against their erstwhile team mates there is a certain amount of respect involved, certainly with the supporters, but after this game certain Red Star supporters will be wondering why they made a banner for Benmmesmoudi when he returned to Bauer earlier this season with Raon saying "Merci Azzedine". Red Star now have a huge headache for the next game, at Bauer next weekend against lowly Belfort, another team desperate for points in the struggle against relegation. With Ghili, Kangulungu and Fardin all suspended, the task could be complicated for coach Naidon, but he may be able to count on the returns of Pinto, Nemir and Sow. Ludovoic Fardin fouled but no yelow card... CFA GROUP B RESULTS Besançon - Strasbourg B : 1-0 Mulhouse - Epinal : 1-0 Saint-Priest - Auxerre B : 3-1 Epernay - Montceau-les-Mines : 0-3 Vesoul - Croix de Savoie : 2-1 Belfort - Jura Sud Foot : 0-1 Nancy B - Sochaux B : 1-2 Metz B - Lyon B : 1-2 COUPE DE PARIS Red Star have been draw away to Conflans Sainte-Honorine in the next round of the Coupe de Paris. Conflans play in the DSR, the same division as Red Star reserves. Date to be confirmed.

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