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BEAUREGARD VENDON v 3rd XI 25th OCTOBER 2009
Having seen the 2nd XI win a hotly-disputed (in every sense of the word) match last night, followed by the 1st XI come back from the dead and snatch a win at the death in a match they ought to have put beyond any doubt after just half an hour, I was intrigued to see if the 3rd XI could make it a hat-trick of victories this afternoon.
But I wasn't under any illusions. I'd seen Pionsat's 2nd XI turn this side over comfortably last season in their march onwards to the 3rd Division title. I was pretty scathing about the Beauregard team on that occasion but they were no worse, and in some cases better than some of the other teams in Division 3. I was surprised that they had been relegated instead of, say, Sauret-Besserve who were quite frankly appalling, but enquiry revealed that in a couple of matches last season they hadn't been able to put out anything like a full team, a feeling with which Pionsat's 3rd XI will sympathise.. In fact on one occasion, one of the opposing teams had exercised the right to claim the match by forfeit due to a shortfall of Beauregard players, which I thought was particularly mean.
So to cut a long story quite short "thank heavens"....ed they had finished bottom by just one point and were thus relegated.
What made me feel worse was that Pionsat only had 10 players on the pitch, and not a goalkeeper either. Not even Damian who had taken the gloves in the face of this desperate player shortage and whose goalkeeping had improved immeasurably over time. Xavier bravely volunteered to take over in the nets but he will be the first to admit that his talents, whatever they might be, don't stretch to goalkeeping. He didn't have any gloves either and he would suffer for that, I was certain.
And if that wasn't enough I noticed too that there wasn't a single official from Pionsat who had come to watch the game, and no-one had volunteered to run the line for them. I resolved to have a word with the powers-that-be about this situation. The team is struggling and needs all of the support it can get, and not even having a linesman - that must surely be bringing the club into some kind of disrepute somewhere. Pionsat's 3rd XI deserve better than this.
We don't have to wait long for the first goal and it's a defensive calamity. With Pionsat's defenders being under some pressure one of them passes the ball back to Xavier. Of course he isn't allowed to pick it up from one of his own players so he goes to kick it upfield.
He rushes out to the ball .... and completely misses his kick, presenting a Beauregard forward with an easy chance.
Chin up, Xavier. You are in good company. I've seen international goalkeepers do exactly that and be punished just as badly. And last night both the 1st XI and the 2nd XI committed some kind of defensive howler at a vital moment that conceded a goal.
We have a second goal not long afterwards. Beauregard break down the left wing through a rather static Pionsat defence and drive in a good shot on goal. It goes right past Xavier and into the net for 2-0, and there wasn't a lot that he could have done about that.
Pionsat's defence are not able to read the game and can't seem to concentrate on what is happening. Once they are beaten they stand around and watch the ball instead of rushing to get between the attacker and the goal. You can see that there are three Beauregard attackers in front of the defence. How you can defend when you are upfield from the ball is something that I haven't worked out.
I missed the third goal - I know one of the Beauregard supporters and he chose just that moment to come over and talk to me.
The ball was played down the right wing and Pionsat failed to get the ball clear. Xavier ran out to narrow the angle but the ball was chipped over him right across the goal to a forward who was totally unmarked and he tapped into the empty net
There's another moment of panic in the Pionsat defence, and it's all down to a Pionsat goal kick, would you believe?
The kick ... errr ... leaves something to be desired in both height and distance and falls to a Beauregard player about 25 yards out. Noticing Xavier out of position he volleys it straight back at the goal. Fortunately for Pionsat it goes wide of the goal - but not by much.
And even from the goal kick there are two Beauregard players totally unmarked. Where are the central defenders?
We have an unbelievable moment right at the end of the first half as 5 Beauregard attackers take on 2 Pionsat defenders with the remaining Pionsat players nowhere in sight.
The Beauregard no6 in the inside-right position gets off a shot at the near post but Xavier has a good semi-dive and manages to punch it round the post. Good old Xavier. I'm glad I managed to get that on film. he would be proud of that. But I bet he felt that, what with having no gloves to wear.
At the start of the second half Jerome takes over in goal to give Xavier something of a breather
Nevertheless we have a fourth goal for Beauregard. It stemmed from a corner that was played in and headed away by the Pionsat defence, but only as far as a Beauregard player who blasted it back into the net.
But there's a Beauregard player standing right on the goalkeeper deliberately obstructing him, and I don't know why the referee hadn't noticed that and given the obstruction. I clearly heard the cry "get on the keeper" and I'm right down at the other end of the pitch. The referee should have been looking out for it.
Let's just call that "poor refereeing".
Beauregard's 5th goal was about the only decent goal of the game so far. There was a nice move from the Beauregard midfield who moved the ball nicely upfield. Pionsat missed out on a few tackles that they really ought to have made and the ball broke out wide to the Beauregard left winger wwho had found himself some space.
He takes the ball on into the penalty area and sends a delightful curling shot into the net past Jerome. There's no need for jerome to be so despondent though. There wouldn't have been too many keepers who would have got to that, no matter who they were. And at least this is quite a rare photo so make the most of it - it shows the Pionsat central defenders right in front of the goal where they ought to be all the way through the match.
At last, a Pionsat player gets his name onto the scoresheet, but it's unfortunately into his own net.
The Beauregard left-winger goes off on what looks like a hopeless chase after the ball down the left wing. He did well to get to the ball and keep it in play (mind you, if the Beauregard groundsman had bothered to mow the lawn the ball would have been far too quick for him). Managing to put a cross into the area was the icing on the cake.
This leads to a round of "head tennis" in the Pionsat area and eventually Max wins a good header in the air. He puts in a nice thumper but unfortunately it's in the wrong direction and poor Xavier, who has returned to the goal (I was going to say "picked up the gloves again" but of course we don't have any gloves) is comprehensively beaten.
That's quite a shame, because for the last few minutes Pionsat have been getting forward and have been playing a bit. No wonder they all look despondent.
But never say die Pionsat. They keep on going forward and this attack is right down the centre of the field. The Beauregard defence can't stop the attack but they force the ball wide of goal.
The little no8 who has been all on his own in the attack for much of the game gets in a rare shot that the keeper needs to save. It's just as well that he was alert. It's a pity because Pionsat, and the no8 particularly, deserve something out of this game for the effort that they have put into it.
And there you have it. Pionsat playing with 10 men of whom at least a couple were recruited at the very last minute and only one decent goal in the whole match. The scoreline of 6-0 ia a total travesty as Pionsat were much better than that. Had Matthieu or Michael, or even Damian been in goal with Xavier up front and a few of the regular players like the defender who looks like an undertaker and whose name I don't remember, Fabrice, the defender who works for the fire brigade and Eric who plays in attack - had they been on the field Pionsat would have given this Beauregard team something to think about.
It's a shame that for some reason no-one at Pionsat takes the 3rd XI seriously.
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