CFA round 3
Saturday 25th August 2007
RED STAR 1 MONTCEAU-LES-MINES 1 (0-0)
Attendance : 450 spectateurs - referee : Michel Noël Bodji assisted by Rudy Hourdouillie & Jean-Jacques Lambert
Goals : Lefort (88 pen) - NGoma (55)
Substitutions : Marquet by MBanza (73) - Ben Hassine by Bon (46), Gensel by Alidor (73), Correia by Gaudin (83)
RED STAR FC 93 : DJIDONOU (1), LACOMAT (2), HAGUY (3), KANGULUNGU (4), PINTO (5), SOW (6), ROBERT ( 7) OUATTARA (8), NEGRECHE (9), MOUKILA (10), MARQUET (11). Subs : LEFORT (12), YOSRI (13), NEMIR (14), MBANZA(15), DIAKITE (16). Coach : Bruno NAIDON
MONTCEAU-LES-MINES : MEY (1), CORREIA, cap. (2), BERGER (3), BRUGNAIUD (4), CHANDIOUX (5), NGOMA (6), CORTAMBERT (7), BAGROWSKI (8), GENSEL (9), BEN HASSINE (10), SERPRY (11). Subs : DIALLO (12), ALIDPR (13), GAUDIN (14), BON (15).
Mamadou Sow
A DEFEAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNFAIR
For the first time in ages the sun was on hand at Bauer but unfortunately this game failed to brighten spirits. A first half of mind-numbing turgidity mostly due to the lack of adventure of the visitors. Last season Montceau les Mines reached the semi finals of the Coupe de France, on a game plan largely based on stopping their adversaires from playing football. In most cases the plan worked, and they progressed mostly by sngle-goal margins. This plan was on view on Saturday and in a defence marshalled by the excellent Brugnaiud, Red Stars' style of attacking football was completely stifled. Early in the game, and how often is a match won by getting on the scoresheet early doors, Negreche wasted a glorious chance and moments later Marquet really should have done better. Montceaus' plan of defending deep was frustrating to watch and Red Stars' game started to deteriorate as a result with passes going astray and shots way off target or from too far out to be of danger.
At the pause the score remained blank and in view of the visitors' lack of ambition and Red Stars' basic ineptitude in front of goal this looked likely to remain status quo for the full ninety minutes. However, ten minutes after the restart Montceau, on a rare foray into the home half of the pitch managed to obtain a free kick some twenty five yards out. The free kick was floated in, a moments' hesitation in the Red Star defence and former Red Star man Kalu NGoma was on had to rifle the ball past Yoann Djidonou.
One goal in arrears against a side like Montceau is like being at the foot of an extremely high mountain, even with half an hour remaining. So, Red Star huffed and puffed against a seemingly unbreachable red wall. A couple of substitutions - Lefort replaced the ineffective but hard working Marquet, Yosri taking over from Ouattara - and a sense of urgency was injected into the procedings. Yosri opted to remain on his feet when challenged just inside the Montceau penalty area and no penalty was awarded, and a fine move down the left saw Lefort tamely shoot at the visitors' custodian. With the midfield route semmingly having been abandoned, Red Star opted for Djidonous' long clearances upfield and it was from one of these long balls that Red Star obtained a dubious penalty, Lefort bundled over on the penalty spot. Despite the visitors' protestations, the decision stood and Lefort himself despatched the ball past Mey to earn Red Star a deserved draw.
A disappointing start to the season, but it could have been worse. Montceau were unimaginative and uninspiring, and Red Star will have to get used to this if they are to avoid potential banana skins at Bauer. On the positive side Red Star never gave up, Negreche gave 200% and the addition of Lefort later on in the game proved to be decisive. Some fine tuning needs to be performed as the season progresses, normal given the shake up that has taken place over the Summer. One feels that once Moukila gets his first goal, the confidence will return and the goals will flow. With the returns of Fabiano and Berthier on the cards the potential is rich for coach Naidon.
© AllezRedStar.com 2007