Coupe de Paris
2nd Round
Sunday 21st October 2007
COSMO ERMONT-TAVERNY 1 RED STAR 3 (ht 0-2)
Attendance : 100 - referee : Mickaël Pichon assisted by Alain Mpandu & Alexandre Rodrigues
Goals : Cosmos' n°13 - Lefort 6 & 25, Marquet 90+2
Substitutions : Red Star : Sow by Kanouté 65; Lefort by Moukila 71; Negreche by Kangulungu 81;
RED STAR FC 93 : DJIDONOU (1), LACOMAT (2, capt), NSEKE (3), NEMIR (4), PINTO (5), OUATTARA (6), MARQUET (7), SOW (8), NEGRECHE (9), LEFORT (10), LUX (11). Subs : KANGULUNGU (14), MOUKILA (13), KANOUTE (12). Coach : Bruno NAIDON
Mickaël Marquet sealed the game for Red Star
On a fresh sunny Val d'Oise afternoon Red Star appeared to have sealed their place in the next round of the Paris Cup against a team four divisions below them in the football hierarchy. However, a goal pulled back with seven minutes remaining almost turned things around completely.
Despite the gulf in the league standings, Red Star took no chances and fielded a full-strength side. Kangulungu dropped to the subs bench and 'keeper Yoan Djidonou returned from international duty. After a spell of early pressure the hierarchy appeared to have been respected when Taimmy Negreche and Grégory LEFORT linked up with a sweet passing move that saw the recalled striker place the ball neatly into the net (1-0 Red Star).
Cosmo stuck gamely to their task and earned their first corner on twelve minutes. Thus followed a short spell of domination by the home side but Pinto and Nemir were rarely troubled in defence. In fact it took twenty three mnutes for Cosmo even to get a shot in, by which time Luw shuld really have doubled the lead with a header from a pinpoint Lacomat cross. Red Star did however go two up when LEFORT burst into the penalty area and found the net with a fine shot. (2-0)
The game petered out somewhat in terms of spectator interest up to half time - Red Star were two up and crusing to what should have been a large victory. However, after the pause, the visitors failed to capitalise on some good scoring chances - this might have cost dearly as from a poor defensive clerance, a Cosmo player only have to put the ball into the open goal with Djidonou stranded. The shot looped goalwards, but hit the bar and bounced downwards à la 1966. According to the referee the ball had not crossed the line, the referees' assistant was not wearing a white belt so the "goal" was ruled out. The decision angered the locals, there was a bit of pushing and shoving but this soon disappeared. Overall the game was played in a good spirit, with no cards handed out by the young referee Monsieur Pinchon. Red Star went on the attack but some woeful finishing kept the score to two. Lacomat, Sow, Negreche and Lefort were all guilty of squandering the chance to put the game out of Cosmos' reach. Finally with seven minutes remaining the home side got what they deserved after a spell of pressure when the lively number thirteen buried a low shot past Yoann Djidonou (2-1).
This appeared to lift Cosmo, and suddenly the game was wide open and the action swung from end to end. Moukila, on as sub, saw a fine header saved by the goalkeeper and at the other end, with the seconds ticking away, Cosmo were awarded a free kick out on their right. Everyone piled forwards, the free kick was swung over but Djidonou was up to the task. From the clearance, Red Star broke forwards and Lux found the head of Moukila but there was a defender on the ine to hack the ball to safety. Deep into injury time Cosmo tried one more attack which soon fizzled out and from the counter-attack Moukila crossed from the right to find MARQUET whom volleyed home a fine goal (3-1).
To conclude, Red Star go into the hat for the next round draw, but lessons must be learned from this mediocre performance. After going two up Red Star should have bagged a hatful - with a little more application and more work in midfield this should have been a training game for the strikers, a chance to get back some lost confidence. Cosmo were nothing special, but do have one or two bright prospects, and play an open game far removed from the dour defensive play during the DH years. Lefort probably staked a claim for a place in the CFA line-up with two well taken goals, but as for the rest nothing special. The midfield was a disappointment, no real leader and no creativity from this department. The defence was rarely troubled and apart from the crossbar incident and the goal held firm. But in a CFA game, it just takes one moment like that and the game can be lost.
Following several important eliminations in the Coupe de France, the Coupe de Paris starts to get interesting now (Poissy, Racing, Entente and Arménienne all passing through the trapdoor and thus will be included in the draw for the next round).
© AllezRedStar.com 2007