RED STAR 3 MEAUX : 1 (h-t 1-0)
DIVISION HONNEUR
Stade Bauer (30/04/2005)
Attendance : 1000 - referee : Yann Billaux assisted by Charles Delavault & Jean Parvedy
Goals : Abdallah (38), Ouattara (72), Tandia (90 + 2) - El Mourabit (58)
Subs : Ouattara by Hamme (85), Benmesmoudi by Chamma (90 + 3) - Dulorme by N’Gasseu (46), Diatta by Beugre (74), Baldé by Saouti (83)
Booked : Hammami (61), N’Simba (87) - Delorme (20), Diatta (71), Beugre (77)
RED STAR : Bell (1) - Hammami (2), Diomande (3), Yessad (4), Tounkara (5) - N'Simba (6), Ouattara (7), Abdallah (8), Tandia (9), Cuervo (10), Benmesmoudi (11), Gueï (12), Chamma (13), Hamme (14). Coach : Jean-Luc Girard
MEAUX : Marguet (1), Dulorme (2), Lacaille (3), Diaby (4), Delattre (5), El Mourabit (6), Baldé (7), Jankowski (8), Diatta (9), Bahri (10), Filtner (11), Saouti (13), Beugre (14), Ngasseu (15). Coaches : Jacky Gourdon & Marian Glombioski
Azzedine Benmesmoudi & Reevis N’Simba in action
RED STAR THE BOSS
There was a very important match played on Saturday evening in the northern suburbs of Paris, watched by a huge crowd with a great atmosphere and quality football with lots of excitement. There was also the Coupe de la Ligue final at the Stade de France, but the smart bet would have been to go to the Stade Bauer to see Red Star, leaders of the DH take on close rivals Meaux.
The whole match was a true ripper, and one would have never guessed by the standard of football and the atmosphere that this was division six football. Some clubs in the National would have watched this one jealously. The first half was evenly balanced with both sides playing some great stuff, and with the visitors dominating on the half hour mark, Meaux looked the best bet to open the scoring. But at the back Tounkara, playing only his second full first team outing, was magnificent, snuffing out the danger in a style reminiscent of Desailly in his heyday. As Meaux threatened to get a grip on the game, Red Star did what so many sides have done to them in recent years. A long crossfield pass liberated the livewire Bourama Ouattara, who powered his way down the flank. His cross to Tandia was flawed, but the latter deviated the ball sufficiently to wrong foot the visitors' defence, the ball rolling neatly into the path of Taïeb ABDALLLAH who lashed the ball home with a sweet rising drive. (1-0). Pitchside, the noise that greeted the goal was deafening. (Click here to see the video of the goal, or here to see a sequence of photos).
Red Star saw the rest of the first half out, slightly dominating affairs. Meaux came out for the second half geared up, shading the posession. Just before the hour mark they were back into the game, when a fine move down the right resulted in a shot with shades of Wembley '66 about it - the ball rattled the crossbar and bounced downwards, but in front of the goal and Red Star hoofed the ball clear. But not far enough, and a fierce rasping drive from El Mourabit had Yann Bell beaten hands down and Meaux were level (1-1). At the time, the equaliser was more or less deserved, and the goal encouraged their fans to be more vociferous (where were they for the same fixture last season ?). For a while cries of "Allez les Bleus" from the central main stand drowned out the subdued Red Star fans.
The goal was the catalyst for a Red Star revival. For the last half an hour they showed real champions class, totally monoplising posession and putting enormous pressure on the visitors' goal. Bourama OUATTARA was proving to be too tricky for the sluggish left side of the Meldois' defence, and from a throw-in he skipped past a couple of tackles before firing a low shot under the body of Marguet. (2-1). (Click here to see the video of the goal). Magnificent stuff and totally deserved for the Red Star man and his colleagues. As the game drew to a close, a defensive cock up involving Meauxs' Delattre who up to that point point had been resonably reliable, saw Aboubacar TANDIA find his scoring touch. Red Stars' centre forwards saw that Marguet was out of position, and realising that the Meaux goalie had earlier received treatment and was not at 100%, fired first time from long-range into the empty goal (2-1). Click here to see the video of the goal).
A fantastic evening, coach Jean-Luc Girard was full of praise for his youngsters who truly rose to the occasion. Captain Reevis N'Simba had one of his best games yet, full of confidence, leading by example. His inspiration came from Phil Cuervo alongside, working in tandem for a midfield partnership. Behind them, Nabile Yessad and Tounkara were a rock, ably supported by the impressive Bilal Hammami. Up front Red Star had plenty of attcking options, totally unpredictable and a handful for Meauxs' defence. Ouattara, Abdallah, Tandia and Benmesmoudi are all capable of scoring goals, a problem Red Star had last season.
So attention turns to Le Mée on Thursday, a critical match, but the last three games are all cup finals to Red Star now.
© AllezRedStar.com 2005