September 7, 2023
The global international break saw the start of the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League in the Caribbean.
The 2022/23 National League was relatively successful for Anguilla as they recorded home and away draws with higher ranked Dominica but twice lost narrowly to St Lucia. The two home games were covered by these diaries.
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2023/03/anguilla-1-2-st-lucia-att-800-est.html
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2022/06/anguilla-0-0-dominica-att-500-estimate.html
St Martin had a similar record, with a home draw with Aruba and an away draw at group winners St Kitts & Nevis, but lost the reverse fixtures. Both their home matches were played in Anguilla.
St Martin is an overseas collectivity of France and the French half of the island, with the Dutch side being St Maarten. I have stayed a number of times on both sides of the island, and whilst having been able to watch a Leeward Islands inter-island cricket match in Philipsburg, I have never been able to watch a football match there.
St Martin is not a member of FIFA so does not compete in the World Cup or have a FIFA ranking, but it does participate in CONCACAF competitions, and was ranked one place higher than Anguilla in the Concacaf ratings used for the Nations League draw.
Despite their two draws with Dominica, Anguilla remained 207th in the FIFA rankings, with only San Marino below them. With the other side in their group being Bonaire, another side not a member of FIFA but a member of CONCACAF, their results in the group will not have any impact on their FIFA ranking. However, winning the group would earn promotion to League B, and the opportunity to earn more ranking points from higher rated opposition in next year’s competition.
The two sides met in a friendly in March, with the game ending in a 2-2 draw but Anguilla had won the two previous friendlies, winning 2-1 in both February 2022 and March 2019.
The weather at the 16.00 local time kick-off ( 21.00 UK ) was sunny with temperatures around 31 degrees. Hurricane Lee was expected to pass well north of the island but the fallout of rain and thunder was expected to hit the island the day after the game.
The visitors faced a 20 minute ferry from Marigot to Anguilla, and then a 20 minute journey to the stadium by road. Ticket prices were $10 for adults and $5 for children.
The referee for the game was notorious Mexican Fernando Hernandez, who had recently served a 12-match ban after kneeing Leon player Lucas Romero in the groin during a game against Club America back in April after the Leon players surrounded the official demanding a VAR review. At least the players should be on their best behaviour today !
At the start of the week Betfair made Anguilla 23/20 favourites, with St Martin at 19/10 and the draw at 12/5. However, when the sides for the match were announced, St Martin became 23/20 favourites, Anguilla had drifted to 2/1 and the draw was 21/10.
The Anguilla starting XI was much changed from their previous outing against St Lucia, with 6 changes, and 6 teenagers started the game, and no-one in the starting XI had ever scored a senior goal for Anguilla. After 12 goals in 15 league games, 15 year-old Mekhi Connor made his debut as the lone striker.
In contrast, St Martin fielded a side with some impressive pedigree. Winger Keelon Lebon plays for Neftchi Baku in Azerbaijan, midfielder Romauld Lacazette had played for 1860 Munich, whilst 41 year old Wilfried Dalmat had played for Marseille, Nantes, Standard Liege and Club Brugge in an illustrious career. His brother is Stephane Dalmat, who played for Tottenham, PSG, Inter and Marseille.
Most of the rest of their starting XI play in the lower divisions in France although substitute Yannick Bellechasse would be familiar to many of the Anguillan side, playing his club football in Anguilla with Lymers FC, and had scored 5 goals in 20 appearances for St Martin. He is both their record cap holder and goal scorer.
For the anthems played before kick-off La Marseillaise was played for St Martin and God Bless Anguilla was played for the home side, rather than God Save The King.
Anguilla were wearing orange shirts with black shorts, whilst St Martin were in all blue. Just looking at the two sides as they stood for the anthems it was obvious that the visitors looked much bigger and stronger.
At kick-off there looked to be only around 100 or so spectators inside the stadium, but the crowd gradually built up during the first half.
St Martin immediately took the game to the home side. Dalmat was found in space down the right-hand side, but his cross was well claimed by keeper Lawrence. After four minutes, keeper Lawerence couldn’t hold a cross from the left but Lacazette blazed over from just inside the area.
However, the opening goal wasn’t long in coming, and from a ball through the heart of the defence ex-French Youth international Axel Raga-Rigobert slipped the ball past the advancing keeper to make it 1-0 after 6 minutes.
St Martin continued to press, and Fleming did well to turn a dangerous cross off for a corner, and right-back Babel raided down the wing but his cross was well held by the home keeper. A dangerous cross from Lebon was hooked clear, and after another lively run, Lebon’s cross was only cleared as far as Babel, whose 25 yard shot bounced in front of the keeper, who managed to hold onto the ball.
Ex-Amiens striker Stanley Segarel made a good run down the right, and when the ball was recycled, Lacazette shot a couple of feet wide from 20 yards.
Anguilla then shot themselves in the foot by gifting a second goal in the 24th minute. The pass from Jones was dreadful and went straight to Dalmat, who had a simple lay-off to give Segarel an easy finish.
Anguilla got out of their own half for just about the first time in the 26th minute and they won a corner, but keeper Etienne made a confident catch. St Martin Kevin Zonzon, who had played for Zemplin Michalovce in Slovakia, was shown the first yellow card in the 27th minutes after going through the back of Mekhi Connor.
A drinks break was called for after 28 minutes, and shortly after play resumed, St Martin added a third with a possible own goal. The ball went across the face of the goal to reach Dalmat, who easily beat his marker, and his cross struck team-mate Raga-Rigobert. The ball was then put over the line by Anguilla defender Fleming, but Raga-Rigobert was credited with the goal.
Babel shot over from a tight angle after being played in by Chevalier, but the fourth goal was added in the 38th minute. Chevalier popped up in space on the right, and his low ball was smashed into the roof of the net from inside the 6-yard box by Raga-Rigobert.
It got worse for Anguilla a minute later, as Babel’s ball down the right-hand channel released Raga-Rigobert who strode forward to roll the ball between the keeper and his near-hand post for his fourth goal of the game on his debut.
With the score at 0-5, Anguilla made a tactical substitution in the 40th minute, replacing 16-year old Brooks with 17 year old Delani Francis. On the stroke of half-time, Anguilla actually created a chance. Egham Town’s Kayne Corner ran pass two opponents and played a nice pass to put Mekhi Connor clear inside the St Martin area, but the shot hit the body of the keeper and went off for a corner.
At half-time, the 5-0 scoreline clearly reflected the men against boys first half, and an avalanche looked possible in the second half. The ageing Dalmat was being made to look like Pirlo…………
St Martin continued to dominate in the second half and Dalmat’s smart pass put Lebon clear, but Jones was able to get across and make the block at the expense of a corner. Segarel finished weakly from a ball from the right-wing, and after 58 minutes it looked like St Martin had won a penalty after Francis brought down Segarel, but after a consultation with the linesman, the referee awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area. Dalmat’s effort sailed harmlessly over the bar.
In cricketing terms, St Martin effectively declared as they made a triple substitution, taking off Dalmat, Lebon and Segarel, and Anguilla enjoyed a short spell of possession as they passed amongst themselves in their own half. However, this was short-lived, and Lacazette was left unmarked to head home a corner from Bellchasse from inside the 6 yard box. 6-0 after 69 minutes.
Not a lot happened in the final 20 minutes. Cocks was put clear with 5 minutes remaining, but Lawrence made a good initial save, and then bravely dived on the loose ball before Cocks could finish. Jones then did well to put a dangerous cross from Raga-Rigobert over the bar, and in added on time, Bellchasse could have done better after being played in on the left, but his effort was weak and easily saved.
At the final whistle, the scoreline showed that St Martin appear to have put together a decent side capable of competition at Level B in the Nations League. However, Anguilla need to rethink their approach. Whilst it is admirable to invest in youth, fielding an inexperienced side that is likely to get battered every time is not good for player development, and they need to get a better mix of youth and experience. On this form they will lose every game in their group.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgWjR-EX7dg
Anguilla : Lawrence – Jones, Fleming, Paris, Brooks ( Francis ) – Jared Smiens, Duncan, K. Connor, Richardson ( MacDonald-Baptiste ), Hodge ( Moore ) – M. Connor ( Francis )
St Martin : Etienne – Babel, Dumas ( Celina ), Zonzon, Segor – Raga-Rigobert, Lacazatte, Chevalier ( Cocks ), Lebon ( Bellchasse ) – Dalmat ( Chance ), Segarel ( Peterson )
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