RED STAR 1 LE MEE SPORTS : (0-0)
Division Honneur - Week 2
Stade Bauer, 29/08/04
Goals : Gassama (92) - Marna (65), Daoud (90 pen)
Attendnace : 400 - referee : M. Hachid assisted by M. Antonio & M. Paverdy - Dry conditions
Booked : Fourneuf (25), Hamdani (57), N’Simba (71) - Mas (14), Daoud (59)
Substitutions : Benmesmoudi (Hammami 69) - Marna (Alanic 86), Clercq (Sallon 89)
RED STAR : 1-Bell, 2-Diomande, 3-Dao, 4-Yessad, 5-Fourneuf, 6-N'Simba, 7-Benmesmoudi, 8-Abdallah, 9-Hamdani, 10-Ouattara, 11-Gassama, 12- Budoc, 13-Hammami, 14-Delmas. Coach : Jean-Luc Girard
LE MEE SPORTS : 16-Feurier, 2- Robert, 3-Quennécart, 4- Mas, 5- Lachgar, 6- Ballo, 7- Kah, 8- Ebara, 9-Daoud, 10- Marna, 11- Clercq, 12- Sallon, 13- Alanic, 14- Samba. Coach : Patrick Houssin
Back : Yessad, Diomande, Fourneuf, Benmesmoudi, Hamdani, Bell
Front : Ouattara, Gassama, Abdallah, Dao, N’Simba
OLD HABITS DIE HARD
One would think that the bad habits of last season would be all in the past, but as Red Star proved yesterday some lessons don't appear to have been learned. Le Mée came to Bauer physically stronger than Red Star and gave a standard DH performance, enough to win the game.
From the outset though, Red Star really should have taken the lead as early as the first minute, Hamdani commencing what would turn out to be a frustrating afternoon. Red Stars' ineptitude in front of goal was illustrated by two long-range shots from Reevis N'Simba which sailed harmlessly over the bar.
Red Star dominated possesion but went behind in the second half when a moments' hesitation on the right side of their defence let in the lively Marna to fire a fine shot into the roof of the net. As Red Star huffed and puffed trying to get back into the game, a last-minute cock-up in their own penalty area led to goalkeeper Yann Bell upending a visiting striker. Penalty duly converted by the experienced Daoud.
A last-gasp surge of pride from the Red Star players led to an injury-time consolation by Gassama, and seconds later a long ball hoisted forwards by Bell could have been converted into an equaliser but was cleared by Le Mée.
So a bitter pill to swallow for the Red Star supporters, who were hoping for a win given last weeks' opener. Looking at the team, up front one has to be disappointed by the performance of Hamdani, shackled by some tight marking, and who spent large amounts of time on the fllor looking for free-kicks. The positive contribution came from playmaker Abdallah, creative and accurate passer. Elsewhere Ouattara was completely anonymous, a tad out of his depth, Benmesmoudi was just awful, N'Simba - the right man for the captains' armband ? Fourneuf was solid in defence, as was Yessad, both goals coming due the absence of Kaba Diomande. The introduction of Bilal Hammami injected a bit of purpose into Red Star's attacks but came a tad too late.
Red Star now have to put this one behind them and look towards bringing something back from Cosmo next weekend.
© AllezRedStar.com 2004