League Play-Off

Hibbing
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Karim Zaoui started the match with the kick off in front of an excited audience. After a defensive mix-up in Antlers's zone, Hemza Madouni stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Salim Benhabiles came out of the goal and Hemza Madouni tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. After having played for 6 minutes, Karim Zaoui managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Antlers's supporters crossed their fingers, but Karim Zaoui was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. In the 9th minute Karim Zaoui shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Lakhdar Feraoun saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Lakhdar Feraoun made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Karim Zaoui in the 14th minute of play. Salim Benhabiles made an important save on a dangerous shot by Fodil Ramdane in the 17th minute. In the 18th minute, Abdelaziz Doutté 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 20th minute Karim Zaoui shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Lakhdar Feraoun saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. When Hemza Madouni came up free with the goalie in the 26th minute, the Hibbing FC 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 Hemza Madouni couldn't finish the play. The crowd rose to their feet as Hibbing FC's Nabil Banouas slotted home a wonderful shot that went in to the left of Salim Benhabiles. That made the score 1-0 after 27 minutes of play. 32 minutes into the match, Antlers's goal looked a bit too open when Nabil Banouas came free, but Salim Benhabiles reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 33rd minute, Abdelaziz Doutté 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. Hemza Madouni received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 36th minute. Salim Benhabiles tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. After some fancy dribbling in the 40th minute, Karim Zaoui managed to get in a good position for a shot. Antlers's supporters rose to their feet, but Karim Zaoui was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Lakhdar Feraoun breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Karim Zaoui fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 42nd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Lakhdar Feraoun having to interfere. If Karim Zaoui had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 46th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. 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 1-0.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Nabil Banouas stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 52nd minute, Abdelaziz Doutté left the goalkeeper for dead before tapping the ball into the right side of the net. The Antlers fans were clearly happy with the effort and the scoreboard reflected the new score: 1-1. Djamel Djeballi kicked well hit freekick during the 57th minute of the match. The audience thought a goal was coming when Abdelaziz Doutté got free with Lakhdar Feraoun in the 60th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. Larbi Benhabiles's late challenge caught a Hibbing FC's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Larbi Benhabiles helped the player get up and apologised. The referee blew the whistle for a penalty in the 63rd minute of the game. One of Antlers:s players had nearly got his shirt torn off by an opponent while getting free in front of Hibbing FC:s goal. The referee gave Hibbing FC a penalty, 65 minutes into the game. The penalty shot was made by Djamel Djeballi, who made a well placed shot into the net to the right of Antlers's Salim Benhabiles. 2-1. With a little luck, Hibbing FC's Lakhdar Feraoun got control of the ball when Abdelaziz Doutté tried to sneak it across the goal line. Karim Zaoui kicked well hit freekick during the 72nd minute of the match. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Hemza Morceli during the 74th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Hemza Madouni blasted a shot towards the goal in the 76th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Salim Benhabiles having to make a save. Abdelaziz Doutté received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 81st minute. Lakhdar Feraoun tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. With a little luck, Hibbing FC's Lakhdar Feraoun got control of the ball when Abdelaziz Doutté tried to sneak it across the goal line. In the 85th minute, Abdelaziz Doutté made a precise shot to the right of Lakhdar Feraoun. Hibbing FC's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 2-2. Karim Zaoui struck a weak shot in the 89th minute. Lakhdar Feraoun didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Antlers. After 97 minutes of play, Hibbing FC's Hemza Madouni made it 3-2 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Salim Benhabiles was left in no man's land by his defense there! Antlers's players left the field with heads hung low after losing a match that had been finely balanced throughout.