NEWS ROUND UP. Apologies for the lack of update - plenty of other things going on at the moment.
The month of November has turned out to be a topsy-turvey one results-wise: punctuated by blank weekends due to Red Stars' early Coupe de France exit. October ended with a promising 1-0 home win over high-flying Pau; Red Stars' goal was scored by Dimitri Durand, at the time the in-form striker. The next game was a tricky trip to Albi where Red Star returned home with the first away points of the season. Bruce Inkango got Red Star off to a fine start after a period of early domination by the visitors. However one minute later the home sides' Rya drew the sides level. Martinez gave Albi the lead just before the hour mark, but all credit to Red Star they fought back and Dimitri Durand grabbed an equaliser with ten minutes remaining.
Unusually, Red Star then had a midweek league game planned, and were hoping to continue their good run with a home game against bottom club Anglet. Without a win all season, the visitors broke their duck and the wheel well and truly came off the Red Star waggon as Anglet ran out 2-0 winners. Worse still, Red Star had experienced defender Cyrille Busquet red carded in the dying seconds of the game, sent off for a foul in position as the last defender. A rubbish performance that put Red Star once again back in the doldrums.
Another team in the doldrus is the reserves of Bordeaux, despite their first XI being current French champions. Bordeaux have the spectre of losing four points from their already meagre total after fielding an ineligible player. Two defeats in three games had plunged Patrick Battistons' team to the wrong end of the table so it was a game between two sides urgently in need of points that took place on the Sunday afternoon. In the end Red Star returned home from the Gironde with their first away win of the season, thanks to goals from Amadou Diagouraga and Peguy Ngam.
Elsewhere Red Stars' reserve teams are both enjoying a good season - in the Coupe de Paris Porcheville were beaten 2-0; in the league Red Star are currently enjoying a run of four wins - their victims being Palaiseau (2-1); Mantes Reserves (3-1); Meaux (2-1 away) and Sucy (2-0). Next up is a tricky game away to Franconville, where two seasons ago Red Star bowed out of the DSR, losing 2-0 on the day. Franconville are joint top of the table with La Garenne Colombes, but Red Star are just three points behind in third place.
Red Stars' third XI are having a fantastic season and top their divsion, two points clear of their nearest rivals. Next weekend they meet Aulnay (4th).
Amadou Diagouraga, Red Stars' goalscorer against Bordeaux