The first half began at a slow pace and both teams seemed more interested in watching each other than actually playing the game. The Eaglets attempted to press the Green defense, but the trio of Hognon, Camara, and Diatta held strong despite two justified yellow cards for Hognon and Gomis. Bakary Koné’s speed troubled the Saint-Étienne defenders, but Nice’s attempts remained futile until the break, which saw both teams return to the locker room with a deserved goalless draw.
After the perennial challenge of the young talents of Azuréen football, both teams returned to the pitch for the last 45 minutes. At this point, the Greens went on the offensive and opened the scoring through Diatta, well-served by a head flick from Ilan following a free kick taken from the right by Dernis. Consternation in the Nice cauldron, and dreams of the Champions League began to materialize for the Forez side. In the stands, people calculated, speculated, and hoped for a strong comeback from the Eaglets. In response to an ever-present crowd, Frédéric Antonetti’s proteges stepped up the pace, and it took an outstanding Janot to prevent Bellion and Laslandes from narrowing the gap. Nice played much higher up, and aside from a fine strike by Gomis that crashed against Lloris’s post, the game was now dominated by red and black.
With 20 minutes left to play, the stadium began to sing louder. At this moment, Balmont delivered a perfect cross to the unstoppable Bellion, who left no chance for the Green goalkeeper by placing the ball in the back of the net, triggering an explosion of joy from the South Brigade to the presidential seats and beyond. A draw is not such a bad deal, but the Eaglets continued to dominate the game, and once again, a superb reflex save from Janot was needed to prevent Ederson, who came on for Vahirua, from doubling the score for Nice. In the stands, people counted a bit less and hoped that these Greens would not find their way to the Nice goal again.
The game now took place close to the Saint-Étienne penalty area, and Ederson seized the opportunity to test the Saint-Étienne goalkeeper again, who thwarted the attempt with another high-flying reflex save. Nice pushed on, and finally, it was Mr. Kalt who awarded the Eaglets a somewhat harsh penalty for an unintentional handball by Camara in his penalty area. Penalty—the stadium erupted then held its breath until David Bellion sent the ball into Janot’s net for the second time, catching him off-guard.
With two goals to one and just under ten minutes left to play, the trend was now reversed to the delight of a public who had regained both hope and voice.
Nervousness entered the game, and tempers flared following a foul as ugly as it was unnecessary by Gaurin on Echouafni. It didn’t take much to ignite tensions, and Mr. Kalt, the match referee, had great difficulty in containing the brawl that ensued, leading to an altercation involving some players and, curiously, substitutes who entered the pitch uninvited. The atmosphere was electric, and the game was suspended briefly to allow everyone to cool down just seconds from the end of the match.
The final Saint-Étienne offensives were met with vigilant Nice defense. The minutes ticked down, and the referee checked his watch one last time before calling for the match ball to signal the end of the game. The hardest part was well executed by a Nice team that, after tonight’s match, proved that it truly belongs in the Ligue 1 version of the 2007-2008 season.
The victory was secured and the players from Nice rushed towards their supporters to thank their fanbase, while a tide of green descended on the referee, who was even jostled by some overexcited Saint-Étienne players. A sad spectacle, even though Mr. Kalt was not at his best in his various choices.
But the result is there and quite clear. A victory, three points, and a fifteenth place in the standings, just a point behind Nancy and two behind Valenciennes, are the rewards of this beautiful evening at a Ray that expected no less. Next appointment in the race for survival is next Saturday at Sedan, which just lost some of its illusions by losing at Lyon but still mathematically has a chance not to play in Ligue 2 next season.
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