MATCH REPORTS 2005-2006  RED STAR FC 93

CFA 2
(Round 4)
3rd September 2005
RED STAR 2 LE HAVRE RESERVES 0 (ht 1-0)

Attendance : 600 - referee : Ludovic Zmyolony assisted by Mohamed Hachid & Victor Teixera
Goals : Benmesmoudi (44), Davidson (78)
Booked : Cuervo (27), Tounkara (84), Diomande (90 + 1) - Pihourd (32)
Substitutions : Cuervo by Sinobad (72), Abdallah by Chamma (77) Devaux by Laurant (46), Mandanne by M. Diallo 51), Menessou by Cissé (66)

RED STAR FC 93 : BELL (1), DIOMANDE ((2), PAGES (3), TOUNKARA (4), FOURNEUF (5), N'SIMBA (6) cap., DAVIDSON (7), ABDALLAH (8), DOUMBYA (9), CUERVO (10), BENMESMOUDI (11), ARAROUCHE (12), CHAMMA (13), SINOBAD (14), EYTHRIB (15), BALDE (16). Coach : Jean-Luc GIRARD
LE HAVRE 2 : TAUZIN (1), FRANQUEVILLE (2), LECOSSAIS (3) cap., POLICE (4), MENESSOU (5), PIHOURD (6), YOUSSOUF (7), DEVAUX (8), MANDANNE (9), FERREIRA-NOGUERA (10), BOESSO (11), Z. DIALLO (12), M. DIALLO (13), LAURANT (14), CISSE (15), LAUP (16). Coach : Jean-Marc NOBILO

Red Star - Le Havre
Azzedine Benmesmoudi, fires home Red Stars' first goal

BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Red Star got back to winning ways with a hard fought 2-0 victory over a very promising Le Havre side made up of no less than four professionals and the cream of their prolific youth policy. The first twenty minutes were virtually all in favour of the visitors, but the experience and agility of goalkeeper Yann Bell kept the lively visitors strike force at bay. Making his first full start on the left side of defence following the suspension of Nabil Yessad, Ludovic Pages handled the attacks admirably, Fourneuf in the centre alongside a Tounkara who appeared to have got over last weeks' mental abberation proved to be a formidable barrier, and the revelation of the season so far, a rejvenated Kaba Diomande played a blinder on the right hand flank.
Phil Cuervo started the game, and was the pick of Red Star as an offensive unit, going close with a drive and a powerful header. Gradually, powered forwards by the hard-working Reevis N'Simba and the culture of Abdallah, Red Star started to take a grip on the game, and were rewarded for their efforts when a half-cleared shot fell neatly to Azzedine BENMESMOUDI who caught the ball on the half volley on the turn and powered an ustoppable shot past Tauzin (1-0). The noise of the 600+ crowd was impressive, and no doubt contained a measure of releif as well as joy !
Red Star grew in confidence and stature after the goal, especially Pages, but up front several chances were squandered by Doumbya and Davidson. At one point groans of frustration could be heard from the Bauer faithful, sometimes directed at the recent signing from Arménienne. With about twenty minutes left Red Star were awarded a corner, Abdallah went off to be replaced by Chamma. N'Simba took charge of the corner, in the melée big Tounkara missed the ball but steaming in unmarked was DAVIDSON who found the net with a powerful header (2-0). The Red Star striker plainly enjoyed his first goal for the club. The goal appeared to lift Davidsons' confidence, and finally he started to show those little magical touches that impressed so much last term when he played against Red Star. Powerful runs down the flanks, taking defenders on, getting the ball across accurately and finding space in the danger areas. The best is yet to come from the lively Haïtian.
Doumbya should have buried Le Havre but missed the virtually unmissable. As with Eythrib and Davidson, one feels that once the big target man scores his first goal, then the rest will come easily. A question of confidence.
Elsewhere, Cuervo was magic again, N'Simba is quietly growing in stature and will be one of the rocks of Red Star. Added to the re-born Diomande and the other elements of the defence, Red Star might just yet have a big say in the outcome of this season. However, there is still a very long way to go, much work to be done, but there are grounds for optimism. One again the public were present in large numbers to get behind their heros.

© AllezRedStar.com 2005

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