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1ST XI v ST GERVAIS 26 OCTOBER 2008
This match took place at the new stadium at St Gervais, about 15km from Pionsat. And you only have to look at the stadium to see exactly what Pionsat are up against. This stand wouldn't be out of place in the Welsh Premier League and it's given me a great idea for how I'm going to design the stand at my own football ground when I can find one for sale. One thing about this stadium though - there were no floodlights.
So a nice warm Sunday, plenty of sunshine, a bright blue sky and a convivial crowd - what more could anyone want? Well, how about a Pionsat victory? Unfortunately you can't have everything and Pionsat were comprehensively trounced 3-1, but it wasn't for want of trying and the team can consider itself unlucky to have been so easily beaten
The first goal came quite early in the match before I'd even got myself ready. A throw-in on the right wing, a good cross to the far post, and a really good shot on the volley that gave the keeper little chance. There was going to be some good football in this match.
Never mind the good football - there were some good clearances too. This impressive kick into touch wedged itself into the handrails of the ramp up to the first floor of the stand.
But that had nothing on the clearance five minutes earlier that went straight into the pie hut via the serving hatch without touching the sides, scattering bottles, glasses, mugs, spectators and serving wenches.
By the way, this is the first time I've really noticed a public facility in France that had a ramp for the disabled, although I expect that this might be more by accident than design. And although there were no pies in the pie hut, there were hot dogs (or chiens chaud as they say in Québec and thereabouts).
1-0 down, but Pionsat kept on attacking, looking for the equaliser and at times they had St Gervais under some pressure.
This cross across the St Gervais goal managed to avoid making contact with anyone and it went out for a goal kick.
St Gervais were also on the attack too as they tried to increase their lead. This was a really good shot from close range that hit the bar. And you can tell how hard too.
Not as hard though as a shot by Albert Kinsey playing for Wrexham against Crewe Alexandra in the early 1970s. His shot from inside the penalty area hit the bar with such force that it came back in to land back in Wrexham's half. Ahhhh, happy days of the old Fourth Division when the attendance at Gresty Road was such that they used to announce the crowd changes to the team. It was even said that Robinson Crusoe practised for the solitary life on his desert island by coming to Gresty Road on matchday.
St Gervais were still on the attack, and this was one shot that the Pionsat keeper was only too happy to see sail over the bar, for I'm not at all convinced that he would have got to it had it been on target.
Notice the referee by the way - doing a fair impersonation of Pierluigi Collina. He was an ugly basket too. His refereeing wasn't up to all that much though and he incited the ire of the more knowledgeable of the fans on the touchline. In one bizarre incident, the ref gave a free kick to Pionsat when it was clear to everyone else in the ground that the kick should be in favour of St Gervais. A St Gervais player hung onto the ball (presumably in disbelief), a Pionsat player pushed him to get the ball, and the ref then gave the free kick to St Gervais for the push. The right result in the end, as it happens, but for the wrong reason and the Pionsat player would have done better to keep his hands to himself.
But don't misunderstand. The only reason that there are referees in football is because there are 22 players who can't be trusted to play to the rules. If players cleaned up their own act, you could dispense with referees. And fair play to the men in black for getting out there and doing it. If it wasn't for them out there, we wouldn't have football matches. And if anyone thinks that he (or she) can do any better, then the various Football Associations around the world would welcome them with open arms.
The second half saw me in a really good spec at the far end of the stand. And I was rewarded almost straight away with Pionsat's equaliser, which they had been threatening for a while. A good pass into the centre of the penalty area and despite the heavy challenge the Pionsat no12 managed to squeeze off a shot.
I've no idea though why the keeper came off his line though. There wasn't likely to be much of a need to cut out the angle of the shot and if the ball was going to go anywhere from that position it was likely to be going upwards. And that was precisely what happened. And if the keeper had been back on his line he would have caught it easily instead of finding himself in no-person's-land.
For the next 10 minutes or so Pionsat were on the rampage and were piling the pressure on the St Gervais goal.
This shot had the St Gervais keeper convincingly beaten, but the ball also beat the far post and went out for a goal kick. That was a shame for it was a good chance for Pionsat to take the lead, and it wouldn't have been against the run of play.
Pionsat were still attacking and still had the St Gervais goal under pressure. This high, hanging cross looked to be quite dangerous. For once the keeper was on his line where he was able to deal with it comfortably, despite the onrushing attackers who were set to pounce on any loose ball. Had he come off his line as he did a few minutes earlier, the ball would have been over his head and into the net.
But it wasn't all one-way traffic by any means. St Gervais were upfield on the attack too and this was quite a dangerous moment that had a certain portent about it.
A good ball into the centre and a one-on-one between the Pionsat keeper and the St Gervais forward, with the Pionsat defence strangely absent (I'm still not impressed with Pionsat's no3). It could have gone either side of the keeper but he made the right gamble (there's no other words to describe this save) and he managed to smother and then cling onto the shot.
But I had a certain foreboding about all of this. Years of supporting Crewe Alexandra - that's my excuse.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a Pionsat forward gave it everything he had and put in a really impressive shot on goal that ordinarily would have screamed into the top of the net.
However the St Gervais keeper gave it everything he had too and flung himself across goal in an acrobatic manner not usually seen in the 11th level of the French football pyramid, and he tipped it over the bar. I was out of breath just watching this.
They were even closer and even unluckier a couple of minutes later. Another attack and another shot on goal. This time it flashed agonisingly wide of the post with the keeper beaten. Another couple of inches and it would have been a goal.
I was by now convinced that it wasn't going to be Pionsat's day, and they wouldn't have scored another goal if all of the opposition had come off the field and they were still playing at Christmas.
So it was no surprise to guess what happened next. The Pionsat players had given it everything that they had to no avail and were completely flaked out. They weren't in much of a condition to resist a counter-attack.
Another good ball into the centre, another tired defensive challenge brushed off, and a good powerful shot down the centre this time, and that beat the keeper comprehensively. All ends up, you might say.
Pionsat could have every reason for being disappointed after all of the pressure they'd been piling on the St Gervais goal.
But never say die Pionsat. They kept in the game and started to look for an equaliser. Another useful shot from distance beat the keeper quite easily, but it wasn't all that important as it also went past the post like the one earlier.
It definitely wasn't going to be Pionsat's day, was it?
A couple of minutes later, it got even worse. A cross from the right wing into the centre, but without much pressure. The keeper had it covered but a foot slid in from somewhere and poked it into the net leaving the keeper (and everyone else for that matter) totally stranded.
This is by the way St Gervais' second team - they have a team that plays in the Auvergne Regional League. And to be that high up the pyramid for a small town team, they must be pretty fit. And that was the big difference. It was a couple of minutes to full time, Pionsat were worn out, yet St Gervais were still running after the ball.
I used to have a "certain position" in Welsh League football, and it was always interesting to watch the Welsh League clubs play in European competition. For 80 minutes or so they could keep up with the best that Europe could offer. Yet they would always collapse in the final 10 minutes, quite simply because with the best will and the best skill that they could muster, they didn't have the fitness. And it was just the same here. What's lacking in Pionsat's football club is a good fitness regime so they can last a full 90 minutes.
But surprisingly, Pionsat hadn't quite finished. Even with just a couple of seconds to go, thoroughly worn out and losing 3-1, they still put in some effort.
It's all very well not taking seriously long-range speculative efforts but if they are on target the keeper still needs to catch them. And if he happens to drop them, and there's an attacker following up, then anything might happen. But for the second part of the equation to come into play, you need a certain level of fitness to run after the ball.
But despite the disappointing result, it was a good day out in the sun. I don't usually go to away matches as there always seems to be a match on in Pionsat, but today there was also a mega-brocante in St Gervais, and that was my next port of call.
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