The enormous applause that greeted their success was a wonderful reward to listen to. Despite a more complicated end to the first half and start to the second, the Stadistes Briochins deserved to eliminate Ligue 1 side Le Havre.
A goal from a corner by Stan Janno (80') sent them to the round of 16. It further weakened Didier Digard at the head of Hac, but football won, as the Griffons put on a superb show, joyful and lively.
A ton of opportunities
Already at half-time, a small ovation greeted the Briochins. The consequence of at least eight clear chances in their favor. Faced with the totally experimental defense of the HAC, with the young Mathéo Bodmer (son of Mathieu) at its heart, the Briochins deployed offensive transitions of impressive quality, undermining the Pembele, Opéri and Nego.
Their last movement, when Yobé launched Achahbar, was perhaps the most beautiful. But, served in the middle, Konan unscrewed his shot from the left (45'). Shortly before, Le Havre could have converted their only opportunity. A corner from Ndiaye headed by Opéri and taken from the knee by Nego. The post saved the Griffons, but it was then the luck of the ambitious, the one who tries and never suffers.
From the first moments, Achahbar was taken over by Bodmer (4'). Yobé's shot had been crushed too much (7'), Le Marer's header blocked (8'), Zakharyan's shot captured by Gorgelin (11') and Angoua's header not quite smashed enough (13' ). This first quarter of an hour will remain. As proof, the wrath of Didier Digard, the Le Havre coach, near his bench.
The Hostis does the job
What followed hardly comforted him since Achahbar, served by Yobé, found Gorgelin's outside post (23') and the same Gorgelin came out at the feet in front of the inevitable Achahbar (40').
At the restart, the 158 Le Havre residents had the bad idea of lighting smoke bombs in front of the photographers. A sign, undoubtedly, of growing discontent. Despite Grandsir's big mistake on Beghin, they were heard, with Le Havre players clearly more concerned. Grandsir (51') and Kouziaev (61') found L'Hostis' gloves.
A goal refused for Le Havre
Janno's entry gave the Briochins some momentum. After a cross shot (51'), Zakharyan was unable to achieve the necessary precision to volley (67'). But from then on it was much harder for the Griffons, on a physical level.
When receiving a cross from Zouaoui, Sabbi was penalized with one hand although he seemed to have scored with his chest (73'). A goal refused in the form of a boost, too, for these valiant Costa Ricans. Because the corner that followed, for them this time, was superbly converted with the head of Janno, who had just come on and was higher than Ayew at the time (1-0, 80'). On his line, Kouziaev could have done better. All his partners too, even if Ayew could have equalized. But in the end, the best won.
The technical sheet
Referee: M. Paradis
Spectators: 4 000 environ
BUT. Paradise (80').
Warnings. Saint-Brieuc: Beghin (75'), L'Hostis (90'+ 2); Le Havre: Nego (37'), Kuziaev (56')
BRIOCHIN STADIUM: L'Hostis – Angoua, Kerbrat, Boudin – Le Marer (cap., Nugent, 85'), Yobé (Benhaim, 74'), Beghin, Diakité – Zakharyan, Achahbar (Rouillé, 85') – Konan (Janno, 66' ).
Not included: Crespel (g.), Ahjaou, Diakhaby, Ntumi, Balzan.
LE HAVRE: Gorgelin – Pembele, Bodmer (Logbo, 89’), Opéri – Nego, Kuziaev (Housni, 82’), Ndiaye (Sabbi, 66’), Zaouaui – Joujou, Ayew (cap.), Grandsir (Confais, 66’)
Not entered: Desmas (g), Bouneb, Zohouri, El Hajjam, Sabbi, E. Kana-Biyik.
