Coupe de Paris
Round 6
Wednesday 21st March 2007
POISSY 1 RED STAR FC 93 0 (ht 0-0)
Attendance : 60
Goals : Diabaté (90+1)
Bokings : SERRA (65) - FOURNEUF (32), LACOMAT (84)
Substitutions : COULIBALY by DIABATE (73), HADDADOU by FONDJA (79) - MBANZA by BENMESMOUDI (70), OUATTARA by GHILI (73)
POISSY : MAGNIEZ (cap.) - SERRA, MANJOU, LARBI, ZENATI - LE BIGOT, HADDADOU, DELANEUVILLE, COULIBALY, MEUNIER, RADDAS. Subs LONDAS, FONDIJA, DIABATE Coach. Dominique GOMIS
RED STAR FC 93 : MAMA - LACOMAT, DIOMANDE, TOUKARA, FOURNEUF - NSIMBA, DIAWARA, KEMAS, LEFORT, MBANZA Subs BENMESMOUDI, YESSAD, GHILI Coach Bruno NAIDON
LAST GASP GOAL SENDS RED STAR OUT OF CUP
Red Stars' last chance of silverware ended in the first minute of injury time on a cold March evening yesterday at Poissy. Just as the sixty or so hardy souls whom had gathered to watch this Coupe de Paris last sixteen tie prepared themselves for at least another half an hour in the cold a last-gasp mong bal was pumped high into the Red Star penalty area. Viewed from the other end of the park, it appeared as if goalkeeper Salifu Mama and captain Vincent Fourneuf had got in each others' way, allowing Poissys' Diabaté to loop a header over and into the unguarded net. A sickener for the Red Star fans that had made the trip to the Yvelines.
The first half was an evenly balanced affair, Poissy perhaps enjoying the better posession and creating the better chances; Red Star did however look better than they have played for the last coupel of games. Rather than bypassing the midfield as they did against Plabennec, Red Star used the midfield platform to build attacks, although up front Elysée M'Banza was somewhat ineffective. For a big lad, MBanza should really be winning more aerial duels. Back in the starting line up was Kaba Diomande, and he enjoyed a solid game at left-back, pushing forwards and offering variety on the left hand side. His super long throw-ins are a plus and add a new possibility to attacks. In the central defence, Ibou Tounkara was magnificent, pulling off some top-notch tackles to break down Poissy attacks. Every time the contact was clean and rarely gave away fouls. If Ibou can improve his distribution skills to be on a par with Vince Fourneufs, then the youngster could go far in the game.
Red Stars' problems lay in attack. With M'Banza ineffective, it was left to Kemas to try individuaistic feats, often ending with the ball hitting a defender rather than troubling Vincent Magniez. It took Lefort fifty minutes to stamp his authority on the game, although Ouattara was promising, taking on and beating defenders. On the half hour the best chance of the half fell to the home side; Salfou Mama could only parry a powerful Poissy drive and although a yellow shirt followed up, his rasping drive thumped the crossbar before bouncing down and being hacked away to safety. One or two Poissy players appealed that the ball had crossed the line but their shouts was somewhat half-hearted and play continued. Moments later MBanza was put through and his shot beat Mangiez but flew narrowly wide of the upright. Red Star were awarded a couple of free kicks in good positions, but Kemas and NSimba could only blast the ball into the yellow wall.
On the hour mark, Ouattara sent over a lovely cross that Kemas met but Magniez managed to clear the danger using his feet. By now, and with the introduction of Loïc Ghili and Azzedine Benmesmoudi, the domination was from Red Star, Poissy content to hit back on the break. Fourneuf found himself out wide on the right but his cross which was met by Ghili was only hit wide of the post. With one minute remaining, a Lacomat free kick found Lefort and with the empty net gaping in front of his eyes, the Red Star number ten scooped the ball high over the bar from five yards out. Then followed the injury-time drama which sent the Poissy fans home cold but happy and the visitors cold and disappointed. Such is football....
JH
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