What a game ! Goals, suspense, an electric end of the game, and on arrival a very precious success for the HAC, this Tuesday in Auxerre (2-3). Ten days after the cruel defeat against Ajaccio (0-1), the Le Havre have therefore returned to the place. They end the first leg in sixth place, just one point from the Top 5 and four from the podium.
What to approach the second part of the championship with legitimate ambitions and the hope of grabbing a place in the play-offs. “I think we’ll have our say, thinks coach Paul Le Guen. Since the start of the season, we’ve always been there, with commitment and solidarity.“
An end of the match under high tension
In Burgundy, the Ciel et Marine have proven that they have potential to join in the fight. They opened the scoring from the start on a strike from Boura, well helped it is true by Leon, guilty of a gross hand fault (0-1, 3rd). Charbonnier’s quick equalizer (1-1, 17th) did not stop their momentum at all. A few minutes after finding the post on a nice curled shot, Alioui gave the advantage back to his team shortly before the break (1-2, 41st). An advantage that Fofana preserved at the cost of an exceptional parade to deflect a recovery from near Dugimont (47th)
Redoubtable against, the men of Paul Le Guen then made the break by Boutaïb, wonderfully launched in depth by Cornette (1-3, 61st).
The expulsion of Boura for two yellow cards (68th) made the end of the match trying. And even more after the reduction of the gap of Charbonnier at the start of additional time (2-3, 90th + 1). In a final under high tension, marked by the expulsion of Charbonnier, the Le Havre managed to contain the Auxerre furia, thus signing a fourth success away, where they have fallen only once since the start of season (in Dunkirk on October 30).
The results of the first leg are really very good. Paul Le Guen
“It was a tense match, full of twists and turns. We’re doing well, but we put a lot of heart into it, analysis Paul Le Guen. I don’t think this is our best game of the season, I even think we were better against Ajaccio, with a different result certainly. There, we sometimes stupidly lost a few balls, lacking control. On the other hand, at the level of the state of mind, we are there. Resisting Auxerre at the end of the match, it had to be done. We did it with a very good goalkeeper, but also with valiant players. The results of the first leg are really very good. We started the season with a lot of injuries and a very young team. And some young people have really come out. Now, we are only halfway there and we will have to do even better to hope to catch something. We are on the right path. “
This promises in any case an exciting start to the year with two posters facing direct competitors, Sochaux on January 8 at the Stade Océane then Paris FC in the capital on Monday January 17. Roll on 2022!