MATCH REPORTS 2003-2004  RED STAR 93

RED STAR FC 93 3 PARIS FC 0 (1-0),
Division D'Honneur week 3
Stade Bauer, 7/9/2003

Buts : Latt-Agnes (40 et 65), Fellahi (88) - attendance 500 - referee : M. Petitmangin
Booked : Fellahi (19), Carles (88), Delaneuville (90) - Patricio H. (44)

RED STAR : Néret, Carles, Fourneuf, Hammami, Guei, Benmesmoudi (Delaneuville 67), Jalliti, Fellahi Milome (Fissirou 69), Latt-Agnes (Budoc 78), Desmarets. Coach: A. Méguellatti.
PARIS FC : Goueto, Mary, Taieb, H. Patricio, Kalkkul (Roch 81), Clio, Nkimbone, C. Patricio (Dernault 63), Amghar, Nemouthé. Coach: N. Kourichi.
AllezRedStar.com man of the match: Latt-Agnes

Red Star - Paris FC
Julien Carles leads the celebrations

FIRST WIN

Imagine, in about thirty years time, as Red Star hand out a routine thrashing to Real Madrid in the Champions' League, I'll be able to tell my grandchildren of the turning point in the fortunes of Red Star. "It was a Sunday in September, and we were playing Paris FC reserves... we were 1-0 up when they hit the post, the ball rebounded out and their bloke spooned the rebound over the bar...."
Fantasy, maybe, but this was the defining moment of a game which Red Star should really have wrapped up by half time. Red Star had taken the lead just before the break, a deserved lead following a period where they hd the upper hand. Early in the game from a free kick, Hammami and Julien Carles had sprung the offside trap, but it was the former who found himself in the unfamiliar position of ball at feet with only the goalkeeper to beat, and he subsequently fluffed his shot.
A neat passing move moments later saw Milome free in front of goal, but he could only shoot tamely into the arms of the visitors' goalkeeper. With five minutes remaining before the pause, some entreprising play on the right saw Julien Carles slip the ball out to Jalliti, whose lofted cross into the box was met by the soaring LATT-AGNES rising above the defence to head his and his sides' first goal (1-0)
Red Star went for the break one goal to the good, but as was proved at Evry last week, a one-nil lead doesn't necessarily guarantee victory and a second goal was needed. However, if a second goal was to be forthcoming, it would more than likely come from the visitors, who started the second period in a livlier fashion that the first. At a crucial point in the game, a flowing move freed ex-Red Star man Fabrice Mary on the right, his powerful shot beat Fred Néret only to rattle the upright, bounce diagonally across the face of the goal into the path of a Parisien who from point blank range scooped the ball over the bar, much to the relief of Red Star and their fans.
This acted as a catalyst to revive the home side, who closed up at the back and the midfield started to gain control over the visitors, somewhat dispirited by their lack of luck. Just after the hour of play, a completely hopeless defensive clearance left LATT-AGNES with only Goueto to beat, and instead of shooting, the Red Star man opted to dribble round the goalkeeper before placing the ball into the empty net (2-0). A composed finish which set up the victory.
The final twenty odd minutes could have produced many more goals for Red Star. The Parisian defence went walkabout at times, and only some poor finishing by Milome, Fissirou and Fellahi kept the score at two. Eventually FELLAHI got his reward and his second goal of the season as he managed to get the better of a Paris defender and fired the ball home with only two minutes remaining (3-0). In injury time Jalliti should have made it four, but fell over in front of the goalkeeper.
Let us not get too carried away by the win. Had the ball not hit the post when it did, then it could have been s different story. In reality Paris were poor, the defence at times was awful, and we scored two goals when they had removed a defender and put on a forward to try and get a result. But, on the positive side, a win is a win, poor sides have to be beaten. We scored three goals and kept a clean sheet. The fans who returned to Bauer saw the new Red Star win, as did the new management team. For coach Méguellatti it is repayment for his hard work and his coaching. There is a renewed spirit at the old ground, and at times the noise produced by the fans was amazing - heard from the other side of the pitch it really was impressive. Good to see the return of Yoann Delaneuville, at last our strikers have rediscovered how to put the ball in the net and apart from one or two scares, we looked composed at the back.
Picking a man of the match wasn't easy. Captain Julien Carles ran tirelessly, linking up superbly in defence with Bilal Hammami whilst on the left of defence Franck Guei was virtually faultless. Vince Fourneuf had a good game at the back; whilst in the midfield Benmesmoudi returned from injury and had a good game - intelligent and creative passing. Mounir Jalliti had a quiet game, and occasionally lost the ball needlessly. However, he did set up the first goal as well as providing some telling passes to the forwards. Desmarets and Milome put in a phenomenal amount of work, and deserved to be rewarded for their creativity. Riad Fellahi provides a touch of class to the team, his technical skills are a joy to watch. In the end the award went to André Latt-Agnes, for his two goals, the first Red Star player to grab a brace since Sabin back in the CFA days.
A sign that times are changing at Red Star could be seen on the subs' bench, where Red Star had three good players on offer in Delaneuville, Budoc and Fissirou, who have all played at a higher level. Waiting in the wings are Matingou, suspended, Diomande injured and new signing Cuervo.. competition for places will be hot, which can only be a good thing.

© AllezRedStar.com 2003

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