Sweet déjà vu

In a repeat of last year’s heroics this year’s less than stellar Lensois pulled another miracle against Saint Etienne. In order to thoroughly appreciate tonight’s victory one must have seen last year’s memorable clash in late January when coming out of the halftime break the blood and gold found themselves down 3-0 but somehow found a way to get three goals back with outstanding work from the legendary Seydou Keita, Adama Coulibaly and Hilton all providing goals to keep Lens in contention for the Champions League. This dream would be shattered of course by the debachle against Troyes in the last game of the season which prompted then coach Francis Gillot to leave the club. But that memorable January game lives on in the annals of great Lens performances. And tonight’s showing, although not carrying the same implications of last year’s magical run, was nonetheless an instant classic.

The Lensois started the game pathetically with ghastly backline play particularly from Milan Bisevac who has proven a rather dreadful replacement for injured captain Hilton.

David Gigliotti replacing the excellent Bafetimbi Gomis scored the first goal for Le Verts and Christophe Landrin added one just a few minutes later. It seemed as if the long march to relegation had officially begun and the Bollaert fans seemed unusually hopeless with dreadful silence heard throughout the venerable stadium. Yes, Jean-Pierre Papin’s honeymoon was officially over.

One can only guess at what Papin’s hysterical rants must have sounded like in the Lens clubhouse during the break but whatever he may have said it seemed to invoke the ghost of that fateful January night.

The Lensois trotted out to the pitch extremely early for the second half and actually had to wait for the Saint Etienne side to finally emerge from their apparent relaxed slumber. This one scene served as a sign of things to come……

The Second Half

But Seydou Keita was gone now, scoring goals for another club in another country. As for Hilton, his injury and subsequent surgery kept another ghost locked safely away for the Saint Etienne faithful. However, there was one ghost from that January night roaming the hallowed pitch at the Stade Felix Bollaert.

Adama Coulibaly was just that ghost and just as the clock passed the hour mark, the ghost was awakened. A header that was parried by Jeremy Janot would be willed in by the sheer strength and determination of Lens’ longest serving warrior. Coulibaly’s lifeline proved catalyst as two minutes later Yohan Demont followed with his own bit of magic as he rained down the Lens fury from the edge of the box and sailed the ball high into the net and past Janot’s flailing limbs.

Le Vert’s faithful were shocked and the club was through. It was only a matter of time now before the Lensois satiated the ghosts of January and could emphatically say…..MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

With six minutes remaining and time running out, Vedran Runje’s long goal-kick found its way to the mercurial Aruna Dindane and he galloped and ghosted past St Etienne defender Batista Nivaldo before flicking perfectly beyond a horrified Janot.

Mission accomplished……..

Category: Team News

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