They walk on water. Since September, the players of the Bergerac Périgord Football Club have succeeded in almost everything they do. Leaders of their National 2 group since November, the Périgourdins will be, if they keep this place, promoted to National at the end of the season. They combine this series with an iron defense, which only took no goals for seven games, and an exceptional career in the Coupe de France, where they reached the round of 16 for the second time in their history. Overview of an almost perfect season, before facing Saint-Étienne, this Sunday (6:30 p.m.) at the Francis-Rongiéras stadium in Périgueux.
Undefeated since September 4
It was September 4, 2021. The BPFC players lost (3-2) on the lawn of the Envol Stadium in Andrézieux, despite an incredible goal from Antoine Letiévant, in a match also marked by expulsion by Samir Bakir. It was the second defeat in five league games at the time. A start to the National 2 campaign with many absences to deplore: that day in Andrézieux, important players were missing such as captain Damien Fachan, Paul Maisonneuve, Axel Tressens or Hamilton Beltran.
Except that since then, the Bergeracois have no longer experienced the bitter taste of defeat. A series of 18 games unbeaten, all competitions combined and 148 days. Since then, Erwan Lannuzel, who had just arrived in the tracksuit of a Bergerac coach, has installed his 4-3-3 around his captain Damien Fachan, positioned as a sentry, who has only missed one match since Andrézieux. And Bergerac has chained 12 wins and six draws (including two qualifications on penalties), in all competitions. 14 games from the end, Bergerac is the leader of his group, with four points ahead of his runner-up Angoulême.
A perfect course in the Coupe de France
The course had started on October 2, in the 4th round. On the Gironde lawn of Camblanes-et-Meynac, Bergerac assured his qualification (0-2) against Gates Between Two Seas, formation of Regional 1, two divisions below, thanks to goals from Hicham M’Laab and Damien Fachan. Then, the successes were chained against hierarchically inferior teams. Wide victories, 0-6 among the Portuguese from Pau and 4-0 against the Bordeaux Stadium. But also much more narrow qualifications, with Samir Bakir in the role of the savior, he who scored twice at the end of the match in Montlucon and La Rochellefor two wins (0-1).
With then two qualifications in penalties against the FC Metz (League 1) and theUS Creteil (National), hierarchically superior opponents, it has been seven qualifications and seven games without taking a goal. “Even at the Portuguese in Pau, when we were leading 6-0, we had this desire not to concede a goal. We have that thing”, emphasizes Captain Damien Fachan.
Seven games in a row without conceding a goal…
Overall, the Bergeracois are solid, even outside the Coupe de France. The last player to have found the fault against Pierre Laborde-Turon, the Périgord goalkeeper, is called Mathéo Corduan, midfielder from the Angers reserve. Since that goal, in the 39th minute of the National 2 match on November 20, the Bergeracois have kept their clean sheet for more than seven games, or 680 minutes without conceding a goal.
– ROMAN PERROCHEAU
“Honestly, that had never happened to me”, realizes the defender Antoine Letiévant. When we arrive on the field, we say to ourselves that we are very strong. We are all together, and we say to ourselves that nothing can happen to us.” “It is a whole. The forwards are making incredible efforts to help us.” savor Damien Fachan. “I feel like at times when they’ve decided to double-lock, the others can’t come up with a solution” resumes coach Erwan Lannuzel.
…but an attack that marks time
This is perhaps the flip side of the coin. With this defense in great shape, the Bergeracois mark time in attack. They stay on four 0-0 in the last five games, although two of those games ended in a penalty shoot-out. In the league, the Bergeracois come out of two very different 0-0 draws, the first in the derby against Trélissacat the end of an unexciting match, the second on the lawn of Moulins-Yzeure, after a match where they lacked success. The Périgourdins hit the posts twice, and Romain Escarpit missed a match point at the very end of the game.
Bergerac still remains the third attack in the championship, with 21 goals scored in 16 games. But perhaps lacks a very regular goalscorer. This season, midfielder Paul Maisonneuve has found the net the most, with six goals, including five penalties. Behind him, Romain Escarpit, Adrián Sahibeddine and Hicham M’Laab both scored five goals.
The result also of the many changes made by coach Erwan Lannuzel in attack. “I know we are capable of scoring goals. We scored goals in two assists, goals in 45 assists… We have talent in the offensive sector”, he assures. “It will come back, it’s not something that worries me”, delays Samir Bakir, only one goal in National 2 this season.