Corsican Dreams, French Revolution: Part 3
Most coaches will spend plenty of time going through the fixture list and the circling the fixtures where they think the positive results will come. Let’s just say in Marcu Padovani’s office, there was more red than green on the board.
Six-pointers against Annecy, Stade Briochin and FC Sete would be key, but any results on the road would be a bonus. Key to success and survival would be turning the Complexe sportif Paul Natali into a tiny, 700-seater fortress.
The first test would come in the opening day fixture against US Creteil-Lusitanos. In fact five of their opening six fixtures came against clubs who have previous Ligue 2 experience. Only SC Lyon are on a similar climb from the lower divisions to National.
On the eve on the first league game, former Monaco youngster Yannis N’Gakoutou joined on a free transfer. Quick, good both on the front foot and tracking back, he looks a very good upgrade at right-back and would be ready for the opening kick-off.
Creteil may have bossed possession and chances created, but the Parisian side couldn’t find a way past the defence and the former Marseille goalkeeper Florian Escales could only count three occasions he was brought into action. Which then opened the door for Wilson Isidor to open his account for the club, a low hard shot finding the bottom corner as the home side hit on the break, enough to seal the 1–0 win.
Padovani was grateful to get his first three points on the board, with a clean sheet a lovely bonus. Isidor was again the hero as FCBB proved the first win wasn’t a fluke. His two early goals gave them a lead over US Orleans and the home side failed to find an equaliser in the second half.
Over the next four weeks, if you had asked Padovani before the season would he have taken six points against Lyon, Le Mans, Quevilly and Sete, he would probably ripped your hand straight off your wrists, but a 94th minute equaliser from Oumare Tounkara, followed by a 92nd minute header by Pietro Pellegri turned a potential six points into two.
However, on the flip side the latter two games Bastia-Borgo had to come from behind to pick up four of the points. Six could have been 12, but it could also have been just three.
Another four goals from the on loan sensation, Isidor, put him on seven in six games. Making it clear from the very start that this side’s success rests on his teenage shoulders.
His 27th minute penalty put the home side up 1–0 over US Concarneau, but then pre-season predictions came to pass when the away side put three past Escales. USC would only have an xG of 0.80, but they took their chances compared to FCBB 1.81 with six shots on target.
A formation tweak saw the Corsican side go to a flat back four and push the extra man into midfield to try and tighten things up in the middle of the park while still trying to hit sides on the break.
Two league wins would follow, before squeezing past Gazelec Ajaccio on penalties in the Fifth round of the Coupe de France. It wasn’t pretty, but they got the job done.
Which brought up the biggest game of the season so far, what would hopefully grow into a local derby as they travelled north to the Stade Armand Cesari to take on SC Bastia who started the day in second place.
If any game was to be classed as a smash and grab, this is the prototype.
The home side had the most clear cut of the chances, but there was nothing they could do when in the 37th minute, Jean-François Grimaldi dinked in a free-kick from the centre of the park only to find David Faupala with a David Platt-esque volley to take the lead.
It would be Bastia-Borgo’s only shot on target, but it would be enough to shock the home fans, the island of Corsica, and anyone else paying attention.
After 10 games, the minnows from a town just south of Bastia find themselves in second place, with six wins and just one defeat, but no one was getting carried away. Not yet.
When speaking to Padovani hours after the game, enjoying a glass of red, he was over the moon to have 21 points so early in the season, but it only meant he needed 14 more to avoid relegation.
Early success put a smile on everyone’s face, but everyone was still looking over their shoulders, rather than looking too far ahead.
