10 days before the end of the championship, the public finally came in large numbers to Gaston-Petit. 5365 spectators are present at kick-off for this clash at the top between La Berri and the championship leader Laval.
And unfortunately the Laval residents shower the Castelroussins supporters at the entrance! The Mayenne are the first to score after only 180 seconds of play! On a strike from Roye, blocked at the entrance to the surface, Geoffray Durbant, Laval’s top scorer, in the middle of the penalty area, shook the net. 0-1 (3rd) is the score in favor of the visitors.
The Berri is cold picked and is reduced to 10
The Castelroussins then rely on their home scorer, ex-Lavallois Thomas Robinet. Well present, Robinet has an opportunity in the 14th. On his way he can’t avoid the clash with the Mayenne goalkeeper, Sauvage, who came to meet him. Hard hit, the Laval goalkeeper had to leave his partners due to injury. Twenty minutes later, it was La Berri who had to deal with a severe blow of fate. N’Goma tackles Etcheverria more than severely, in the eyes of the match referee. The red card springs from the pocket of Mr. Delpech and the Berri is reduced to ten from the 24th minute!
What follows is painful. Châteauroux, barely outnumbered, confuses speed and haste and despite eight minutes of stoppage of play, half-time is whistled with the score 1 to 0 in favor of the leader of National: Stade Lavallois
In the second half even reduced to ten against eleven Lavallois, La Berri pushes to try to equalize, in particular by the former Mayenne Robinet but also Nolan Roux moreover manhandled by the defense of Laval in the 60th minute. But despite all their good will, the Berrichons fail to equalize. Sirine Doucouré, a few minutes after entering, managed to cause a free kick at the entrance to the penalty area, but without result for Berri 0-1 (73rd).
Robinet equalizes against his former club, 9 against 11
The end seems to turn into a nightmare for La Berri with a new red card. This time for Adama Mbenguethe former player of the Stade Malherbe de Caen. La Berri, at the bottom of the hole, will however save his evening in stoppage time. And it is by the inevitable Thomas Robinet let the light appear! Well served after a superb effort from Ouaneh, the top scorer from Castelroussin slipped the ball into the back of the net. By scoring his 15th goal of the season, Thomas Robinet once again joined the top of the provisional ranking of the top scorers of the season. Mostly the berrichons pocket a point synonymous with hope. Châteauroux 6th in the standings is only 3 points from the podium and from Annecy but will have a lot to do to get there. We will have to start next week (Monday March 21) with a very perilous trip to the runner-up in the Concarneau classification.