League Play-Off

Gardendale Park
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Gardendale's Lakhdar Ramdani started the match with a crisp pass. The crowd had been anticipating this game for weeks and the excitement in the stadium was easily visible. Rafik El-Hadi received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 6th minute. Khalida Madani tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Khalida Madani stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Rafik El-Hadi's shot from short distance in the 10th minute. 12 minutes into the game, Mimoun Ouid Daham was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Ashdown's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Gardendale the free kick. The referee gave Gardendale a penalty, 14 minutes into the game. The penalty shot was made by Tedj Amsallem, who made a well placed shot into the net to the right of Ashdown's Soltani Mammeri. 1-0. 16 minutes into the game, Hocine Madjer was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. Gardendale's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Ashdown the free kick. Abdellah Mehenni sent away a hard shot on goal in the 17th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Ashdown's Abdellah Mehenni got a good chance for a goal in the 20th minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. Rafik El-Hadi received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 22nd minute. Khalida Madani tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Lakhdar Ramdani had several of the Ashdown's defenders around him in the penalty area when he, after 30 minutes of play, received a pass and succeeded in some way to shoot a shot which went straight ahead into goal. This resulted in a 2-0 score and a disappointed Soltani Mammeri as he didn't even see the shot coming. After 37 minutes, Tahar Faudel mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Gardendale and the Ashdown players grew even worse after the yellow card. In the 37th minute, one of Gardendale:s players had the ball in front of the goal but got pushed and fell. The referee felt it was an obvious case and blew a penalty for Gardendale. If Lakhdar Ramdani had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 46th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. The away team players looked dejected as the walked off the pitch at half time. They had fought hard, but were still losing 2-1.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Abdellah Mehenni stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. The supporters of Gardendale booed when Ashdown was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 51 match minutes in a wonderful position. Mimoun Ouid Daham didn't get a good kick on the ball. Gardendale's Khalida Madani played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Abdellah Mehenni in the 58th minute of play. After 58 played minutes Gardendale got a freekick which was hit by Hamid Karim Belkassem. If Abdellah Mehenni had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 61st minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. If Lakhdar Ramdani had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 66th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Cheb Apap fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 70th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Soltani Mammeri having to interfere. Ashdown's Soltani Mammeri played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Lakhdar Ramdani in the 74th minute of play. After a rather tough play, Gardendale's Said Benbitour got a free kick in the 75th minute. The Ashdown fans' excitement grew in the 76th match minute when Ashdown's Rafik El-Hadi looked to have a clear shot with the ball near the goal. The shot wasn't hard, but the ball still rolled over the goal line to make it 2-2 before the goalkeeper had a chance to intervene. After 83 played minutes Gardendale got a freekick which was hit by Tahar Faudel. The supporters of Ashdown booed when Gardendale was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 86 match minutes in a wonderful position. Hocine Madjer didn't get a good kick on the ball. After having played for 88 minutes, Cheb Apap managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Gardendale's supporters crossed their fingers, but Cheb Apap was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Rafik El-Hadi fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 91st minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Khalida Madani having to interfere. 94 minutes into the match, Gardendale's goal looked a bit too open when Abdellah Mehenni came free, but Khalida Madani reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. The second half was just like the first, even and exciting. The match ended in a draw.