Foot

Context

196 days of waiting. That’s six and a half months (equivalent to 5 draws and 5 defeats) since the Nouste Camp has been deprived of victory. Against En Avant Guingamp (11th) who also have nothing left to play for, Pau FC had to let loose to bring back the joy of victory to their fans. Another stake: to cling to the top half of the table to achieve the best ever ranking in the history of the small club from Béarn in Ligue 2. No more “sitting back and relaxing”, as coach Thierry Debès emphasized before the match. The stage was set. Winners against Amiens a week earlier, the Palois needed to find success at home. It required action, gameplay, opportunities, and goals. In addition, the Yellow and Blues added suspense to make the hearts of the Palois fans flutter at the end of extra time with a goal from Dong, who scored a brace.

The match

Yet the first goal came from the inevitable Louis Mafouta. Already a scorer in the first leg, the striker scored his 13th goal by beating Ruiz to a cross from Kielt, quicker than the Meddah-Kanté duo on a quick transition (0-1, 35th minute). A blow that cast a shadow on a stadium already darkened by an incident in the stands: the lighting of a flare in the STUP corner leading to an internal “conflict”, abruptly silencing the chants from the ultras.

This opening goal punished the chronic helplessness of the Palois, imprecise, slow, and consistently out of sync. With zero shots on target in the first half, the Béarnais struggled against a strong Guingamp block, despite being plagued by injuries, but perfectly organized. Deprived of their detonator Giovani Versini (suffering from a calf strain), Debès’ men lacked inspiration to pierce the Breton defensive line.

After the break, the Palois showed more determination and vigor. Anziani, well found in the box, saw his shot intercepted by goalkeeper Ortola (47th minute). The Ajaccio native sparked the first real chance for the Yellow and Blues with a superb free-kick. But the header by Meddah was saved by the Guingamp guardian (52nd minute). Ortola couldn’t do anything about Dong’s superb first-time strike following a cross from Glossoa, equalizing the score (1-1, 54th minute). With his 3rd goal in Yellow and Blue, the attacker, who is coveted by Augsburg (Bundesliga), completely reinvigorated his team.

Operating on the left wing, “Donguy” delivered an inspired one-touch cross, but no Palois player was there to receive it (66th minute). Behind, the pace slowed down, with Guingamp creating numerical advantages on the counter-attack, but the Béarn defense remained vigilant. Despite the entries of Pouilly, Gasnier, and Fall, chances faded away as players tired. Guingamp seemed content with a draw, and Palois struggled against their extensive defensive wall. However, in injury time, on his first touch, substitute Bobichon delivered a delightful through pass for Dong, who bamboozled Ortola once again with a powerful strike (2-1, 90+4). A liberating goal for the entire stadium.

The figure: 2

2 chances. That’s the slim total for the Palois, who managed to score twice from their only attempts, thanks to two superb strikes from Dong, following delightful passes from Glossoa and Bobichon.

What’s next

All eyes are now on Annecy, where the Haut-Savoyards are battling for honor positions and in top form after thrashing Nancy (1-5). Freed at the Nouste Camp, the Palois will try to string together wins away from home.

Against the Savoyards, they will aim to uphold the club’s image and gather the remaining points needed to achieve the highest points total in the history of Pau FC in Ligue 2. Released from the burden at Nouste Camp, the Palois consolidate their 9th position.