Saint-Malo v Mont de Marsan: Saturday 18:00 – @rich_allen85
The CFA train rolls on in this years Coupe de France. Mont de Marsan (Stade Montois) make the long trek north to Brittany on Saturday as they take on Saint-Malo. A game that takes place earlier than the other 10th round games as Saint-Malo agreed it was best and easier for the amateur players at Stade Montois who have regular jobs away from football.
The Breton side put in a determined display as they pulled off another surprise victory in the previous round. After taking National side Avranches to penalties, les Diables Noirs showed the bigger bottle as they triumphed in the shootout. Abou Maiga once again shone for Saint-Malo as his seventh goal of the tournament ensured the game went the distance.
Saint-Malo have been in excellent league form of late and followed up the win over Avranches with a 3-0 victory against the Bordeaux’s CFA side. They have been unbeaten at the Stade Marville since the end of October both that record and their run in this tournament will be something they feel they can preserve on Saturday.
Whilst the hosts are enjoying an excellent run of form, the same can’t be said for the visitors from the very south-west. Stade Montois barely did enough to scrape a tight 1-0 win away to sixth tier Toulouse Rodeo. An early goal from former Montpellier and Troyes striker Jerome Lafourcade was enough for the win despite ending the game with 10 men after a red card for defender Antoine Abrassart. This will be the first time in the tournament that they will have faced an opponent on equal league footing. With their current form in such dire straits, four defeats in five games, including a home defeat to Martigues last weekend, it’s hard to see how they can pull of the win. If they are to pull off the win then they will need Lafourcade at his best as they have only scored nine goals in 14 league games this season.
Everything we see and read suggests this will be a win for Saint-Malo but with the Coupe de France being such an unpredictable tournement, anything is possible.