League Play-Off

Arles
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Flavian Lepoutre started the match with the kick off. Franklin Catoire sent away a hard shot on goal in the 3rd minute, but the ball hit the crossbar and went out. A very good chance for a goal. After a defensive mix-up in Massais's zone, Andre Messina stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Joseph Henri came out of the goal and Andre Messina tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. In the 15th minute, Massais's goalie took a deep sigh of relief after Paul Borde fired away a hard shot that went just outside the left post. Sabri Descat's late challenge caught a Arles's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Sabri Descat helped the player get up and apologised. Paul Bordes short, quick shot in the 27thth minute got Joseph Henri to make great effort and bar the ball away from getting in. In the 29th minute, Andre Messina reached a very good position and smashed the ball with a huge effort into the net, just to the left of Joseph Henri. The goal made the score 1-1. A collision led to Massais getting a freekick after 37 minutes play. Thierry Poinsignon hit a great ball. Joseph Henri made an important save on a dangerous shot by Paul Borde in the 43rd minute. When Andre Messina came up free with the goalie in the 46th minute, the Arles fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Andre Messina couldn't finish the play. When the referee blew for the end of the half the home team players were clearly happier, as they went in to the break leading 2-1.

The hometeam waved at the audience when it was time for Andre Messina to strike the kick off in the second half. 51 minutes into the game, Arles's Paul Borde nearly tore a hole in the net with a booming shot. Joseph Henri made a valiant effort, but he could not reach the ball in time, 3-1. In the 56th minute the ball was on its way in behind Massais's goalkeeper Joseph Henri, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. In the 61st minute, Alban Lallier got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. In the 62nd minute Flavian Lepoutre shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Bixente Desjardins saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Bixente Desjardins showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Flavian Lepoutre, who was totally free with the ball in the 64th minute. If Paul Borde had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 66th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Massais's Joseph Henri played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Andre Messina in the 73rd minute of play. In the 78th minute, Franklin Catoire hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Everyone was convinced a goal was close when Massais's Flavian Lepoutre in the 81st minute lifted the ball towards the upper right corner, but Bixente Desjardins was perfectly placed and prevented a goal for Arles through an amazing save. Flavian Lepoutre struck a weak shot in the 84th minute. Bixente Desjardins didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Massais. In the 88th minute of the match, Flavian Lepoutre tried to roll the ball into the goal by the right post, but Bixente Desjardins saw his intentions and got control of the ball before it passed the line. The referee blew his whistle, and the match came to a close. The players exchanged shirts and headed down the tunnel. The Arles fans cheered their team off the field, for while Massais had put up a good fight, they were unable to come out of the game with any points to show for their effort.