Sunday, January 17, it is 4:15 pm at the Leo Lagrange stadium when the players of AS St Etienne and Sarah Palacin leave the field with the joy and smile of victory 1-2. A contrast with the local players of the Asj Soyaux Charente leaving this edgy lawn, the pensive look or hands on the head.

Yet everything had started well ...
From the beginning of this meeting, our blue, as the supporters of Soyaux say, had taken the game on their own. The game is hard and St Etienne did not come to Charente to be rushed. The first half hour is a succession of stoppages, the referee of the meeting being very little inspired.

It is Laura Bourgoin who lights as usual the first firecracker. Despite a domination of Soyaux, the blue have very few opportunities and Stéphanoises hold good.

At the 35th minute, Viviane Boudaud goes up half of the field of St Etienne on her left side, the defense returns quickly but she concludes her action with a magnificent cross shot, thus opening the mark and giving then many hopes to the many supporters present on this Sunday.

The blue are happy and it's normal because remember that the stake of this match is double. It is first necessary to move away St Etienne who counts the same number of points before the meeting and we must also avoid getting closer to the red zone synonymous with relegation.

Joy leaves room for doubt ...
This is the second period, just before the hour, the green go up the field on the right, it follows a center then a return to acrobatic Julie Peruzzetto and finally it is Sarah Palacin who opens the counter of St Etienne on a nice shot and plunge the players of Soyaux in doubt.

Doubt before the fall ...
Soyaux sprouts, Lydia Belkacemi takes a free-kick but Pauline Peyraud-Magnin easily picks up the ball.

66th minute, on a center of Sarah Palacin, Audrey Chaumette however alone in front of the goal, takes this ball and sends it on the amount of the goal of Amandine Guérin.

Soyaux was very hot and the girls of Hervé Didier were close to dropping the local players.

10 minutes later, the stéphanoises benefit from a gift from the referee. It signals a more than generous fault at the entrance to the surface on the left of Amandine Guérin. Julie Peruzzetto strikes the free kick, Amandine Guérin rejects the attempt but Sarah Palacin is there to put an end to Soyaux's hopes for victory.

In the last fifteen minutes, Soyaux will push without believing and it has become difficult or impossible to approach the goal kept by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin.

Note a last free kick struck by Laura Bourgouin, but without conviction the ball being sent over the goal.

An end of season the knife between the teeth ...
At the time of the final whistle, it is far the smile of Viviane Boudaud yet author of a beautiful meeting and what balance can we draw from this mano to mano against a direct opponent? Only Juan Paredes and his staff can answer them.

Soyaux is no longer respected in his garden and it will take mental strength, desire and solidarity to this team to finish the 2015/2016 season to a better place than the one occupied in the aftermath of this defeat.

The blue have hearts and a public always present behind them, so hope that next Saturday's friendly against Bilbao current leader of the women's superliga, will change their ideas and allow them to forget this championship.

Author and Photos: Manu Cahu