There was no miracle on Friday night at Bauer Stadium. The ambition to return to the L2 after leaving it in 2019 is postponed to at least one more year. In unfavorable ballot before the climb on the last day of National, the Red Star has yet done the job by winning (2-0) at the expense of Saint-Brieuc, in front of its American boss Josh Wender, owner of 777 Partners who bought the club of Saint-Ouen last season. But the formation of Seine-Saint-Denis had to count on a misstep of Dunkirk or Concarneau. The two teams won in front of Le Mans (2-3) and Orleans (1-2) respectively to finish in the first two places synonymous with promotion to L2.
Yet the Bauer Stadium vibrated. A little during the first act when the captain of Red Star Cheikh Ndoye, converted center forward as in some games this season, opens the score with a clever heel after a shot by Hacene Benali (1-0, 35th). At the same time, Concarneau and Dunkirk, which lead the score, seem to be on the royal road.
A short-lived hope
But change of scenery after the break. Orleans equalized against Concarneau and Le Mans did the same against Dunkirk. A huge clamour then descended from the stands in the 66th minute to celebrate the equalization mancelle. Fans are in a trance with one eye on the match and the other on their smartphones hoping for favorable results. But Concarneau and Dunkirk stepped on the accelerator and scored the winning goal. The dream has passed. Cheikh Ndoye scored an anecdotal double in extra time.
The Red Star therefore fails at the gates of the L2. If the game practiced was rather shimmering, the Audonian players pay for their inefficiency at home by presenting a record of 6 defeats including three against low-ranked (Avranches, Le Puy and Cholet two weeks ago). The few missing units are to be found in these results. Even if the means were less substantial than those of Versailles, the disappointment is real.
"We are here for a long time," promised Josh Wender during an extraordinary city council meeting held regarding the purchase of the century-old club in June 2022. This is not a project where we expect results tomorrow, we know it will take years but we do not mind. What we can promise is that we will always see the interest of Red Star above all else. It will therefore be necessary to wait at least another year to find the L2.
RED STAR - SAINT-BRIEUC : 1-0 (1-0).
Spectators: 3000.
Referee: M. Delpech.
Goals. Red Star: C. Ndoye (35th, 90th + 1).
Warnings. Red Star: Doucouré (51st) Meyapya (66th); Saint-Brieuc: Gomis (60th), Nouri (62nd).
Red Star: Butelle - Doucouré, Meyapya, Kouagba, Hachem - Dembi, Slimani - K. Cissé (Seridor, 90th + 2), Ifnaoui, Benali - C. Ndoye. Man. :Ben.
