Football: Sunkiss'd division one

Labiche salvages a point for St Michel

DEFENDING champions St Michel dropped their first points in the Sunkiss'd division one league as they twice had to come from behind to force a 2-2 draw with Northern Dynamo on Sunday June 27, at Stad Linite.

In a first half which ended goalless, both teams had their attacks neutralised by the opposing defence or they had no luck when presented with goal scoring opportunities.

St Michel, winners of two tournaments this year – the Airtel Cup and the Triangular tournament – found themselves in troubled waters two minutes into the second half. An Evans Thélémaque 47th minute corner was met by young Jean-Alain Valentin with a strong, low outside-of-the-foot shot which goalkeeper Nelson Sopha could not reach despite diving full length to his right.

Northern Dynamo knew that St Michel were to come out more determined after the goal and the longest they could hold the champions and their one-goal lead was seven minutes.

St Michel drew level in the 54th minute through experienced Seychelles midfielder Marcel Labiche who headed home a left winger Alex Nibourette free-kick.

Losers on a 0-4 score to St Louis in their first league match, Northern Dynamo looked like stealing all three points in the 90th minute when St Michel's Kenyan international Moses Gikenyi committed a foul on the edge of the penalty area.

Colin Marie's well-driven ground-level free-kick beat the defensive wall and when many thought keeper Sopha, who had dived to his left and looked like having the ball covered, would make the save, the ball rolled under his body and into the net.

Northern Dynamo players and fans went wild as they thought that they had claimed a famous win over St Michel, but to their disbelief, the two-minute additional time looked eternally long.

St Michel, who had missed taking the lead as Labiche's right foot volley clipped the cross-bar and Kenyan striker Isaiah Onyango's header hit the underside of the bar, got the equaliser once again through Labiche in the 91st minute.

Acquired from Sunshine, substitute Nelson Laurence saw his shot from a Gikenyi cross come off Northern Dynamo goalkeeper Jules Monnaie. The rebound fell invitingly to Labiche who placed the ball into the net to salvage a point for the Anse Aux Pins-based team.

G. G.