MATCH REPORTS SEASON 2000-2001 RED STAR 93

RED STAR 93 - ISTRES, 17/3/2001 (National, Week 27)

Red Star 93 - Istres, 17/3/2001
Referee M. Launay, assisted by M. Dussin & M. Gryson - attendance around 300.
Bookings : A. Gomis (75 / 77) – Mille (51), Savry (65)
Sent off : A. Gomis (77)

CHARLIE TO THE RESCUE

The (few remaining) Red Star supporters have a new hero, in the form of the imposing goalkeeper Charles Itandje. And what a fantastic week it must have been for the 18-year old, firstly scoring in a CFA 2 game, a free kick from fifty-odd metres, then on Friday being called up to the first team, and on top of that, he plays a blinder on his debut, saves his team from inevitable defeat and in doing so keeps the first clean sheet for Red Star since December 2000.

But, on the other hand, one can draw little optimism from a game in which the home side were outclassed, and were only saved by goalkeeping brilliance and some shot-shy Istres strikers. Red Star never threatened, apart from a hooked shot from Hutteau which flew just wide and a free kick from the same man which landed gently into the arms of the visitors' goalkeeper.

Itandje used brilliance luck and various parts of his anatomy in order to keep his clean sheet - this included one Bobby Moore-esque challenge on an attacker - and generally used his huge frame to make the task difficult in one-on-one situations. Charlie had every right to jump for joy at the final whistle - a first clean sheet and the first time that Red Star had avoided losing in 2001, thus ending a horrible run of eight straight losses. Thanks, Charles and thanks also for acknowledging your "fan club" at the end of the game - a bright point in an otherwise awful season.

ALL THE REPORTS FROM MATCHS 2000-2001

Back to the Home Page