VERSAILLES 0 RED STAR 2
Division Honneur - Week 22
Stade Montbauron, 4/04/2004
Goals : Baldé (31 & 60)
Referee : M. Afonso - attendance : 80
Bookes : Evangelista (56), Schneeberger (81), Sanchez (88) - Baldé (65)
VERSAILLES : Panchout, Tsassong, Guillot (Schneeberger 46), Evangelista, Boleda, Mailland, Aidara (Schwerdfeger 46), Brion, Sall, Sanchez, Fouque. Coach: T. Bocquet
RED STAR : Germain, Budoc, Hammami, Yessad, Fourneuf, N’Simba, Delaneuville, Fellahi (Gassama 75), Gueï, Desmarets, Baldé. Subs. : Mawo, Dewambez. Coach: J.L. Girard.
AllezRedStar.com man of the match : BALDE
Celebrate !
TWO IN A ROW
Back at the end of November 2003 the headline on this site for the match at Bauer Red Star versus Versailles was "Another Bloody Sunday", referring to the similarities between Doncaster Rugby League team in the 1970s and Red Star in 2003. Doncaster may have eventually put together a reasonably decent team since then, but the transformation of the Dons took a damn sight longer than Red Star ! From a team with no idea where the oppositions' goal was to one that has finally found the goalscoring touch as well as creating bucketloads of good scoring chances.
Versailles are on a slippery slope towards the DSR. A 4-0 drubbing at Armenienne last week followed by a 2-0 home correction by Red Star, and it could have been worse.
The first twenty minutes or so were incredibly dull, Baldé firing a shot over, Versailles' goalie saving well from N'Simba, whilst at the other end Germain was called into action on a couple of occasions. Just after the half hour, Red Star started to take a firm grip on the game and were rewarded for their entreprising play as Fellahi won a corner. Taken by Desmarets, the ball floated across nicely for BALDE to rise above the defence and plant the ball into the net (1-0).
From then on Red Star dominated affairs. The Versailles left-back was having a truly torrid time against Fellahi, Baldé, Guei and Budoc, also on the end of a barracking from a gentleman in the stands with a very loud voice.
Not surprisingly the left-back failed to emerge for the second half and playing with the wind in their backs Versailles looked a better prospect. Until of course BALDE received a lovely pass from Delaneuville and volleyed home Red Stars' second goal. (2-0).
As the game wore on legs grew tired and Red Star threatened to run riot in the last ten minutes. One of the best dribbles een so far this season came from N'Simba, growing in confidence game by game, and it was only a last-gasp block by home goalie Panchout which prevented Red Stars' number six from getting on the score sheet. In injury time Vincent Fourneuf found himself in the unusual position of being sole in front of the Versailles goal, but instead of having a go himself opted to pass to Baldé. Unfortunately the indecision gave Versailles time to pitch in a defender to prevent a third goal.
Jean-Luc Girard was quite rightly proud of his boys after this performance. Red Star are now starting to look like a team capable of achieving something, at least in the DH. With the experience of playing at this level, they are becoming a force to be reckoned with. Two games, two wins... three successive clean sheets... had it not been for the abberation at Brétigny, it would have been five clean sheets in a row ... still, one goal conceded in five games, not a bad return for a notoriously leaky defence during the first half of the season.
Chosing a man of the match was not easy, but his two goals swung it for the Red Star striker. Everyone played well, Delaneuville led by example, Guei worked incredibly hard up front, Budoc playing as a wing-back was always on hand to provide extra attacking options, N'Simba ruled midfield whilst in defence Yessad, Hammami and Fourneuf were impeccable.
Off the pitch, the eighty or so spectators were most from Red Star - incredible in a town the size of Versailles. Some Red Star supporters moaned at the five euros entrance price, but the win alone was worth that. On a personal note, this is the first time since April 2000, and a 1-0 victory at Paris FC in the National, that I have seen Red Star win an away game in the championship ! So well worth five euros !
© AllezRedStar.com 2004