Largely dominating the game for over an hour, Le Gym were given a mighty surprise in the closing stages of the match and conceded two goals in quick succession. Les Aiglons are out of the Coupe de France and can now concentrate fully on the second half of the season in Ligue 1.

Even though Les Aiglons are flying high in Ligue 1 after the first half of the season, the Red and Blacks won’t be going on a cup run this season, having been far from spoilt in the draw of both domestic cups. Falling 3-2 to Bordeaux in the Coupe de la Ligue, Lucien Favre’s team was eliminated from the Coupe de France by a Lorient side that they had largely dominated for over an hour.

Despite several key absences (Baysse, Dante, Seri, Belhanda, Balotelli), Le Gym started the game in its usual manner: keeping possession well and playing quick one and two touch football. Wylan Cyprien was on target as usual and it took a magnificent stop from Benjamin Lecomte to prevent him from getting onto the scoresheet (30’). After two chances, (one burried in the back of the net and the other missed) both given offside, Alassane Plea opened the scoring just before the break, getting on the end of a great cross from Marcel. Nice’s top scorer perfectly managed to get his head onto the delivery and Le Gym took the lead (43’). A goal at the perfect time for Nice, barely two minutes after a strike from Marveaux hit the post, even though it seemed that Benitez would have been able to make the save. 

Back out from the dressing room and the Aiglons had the chance to double their lead but Plea was blocked on 46 minutes, before he missed the target after a promising counter-attack (60’).

Following total domination for an hour, the Red and Blacks seemed to run out of steam in the closing stages of the game and were put on the back foot. Walter Benitez reassured his defence in the air after 66 minutes, but he was then saved for a first time by a last ditch tackle from Souquet  (68’), before he decided to venture out, far from his goal. Aliadière got to the ball first and he managed to get the equaliser, scoring into an empty goal, albeit from a tight angle (71’). Shaken by this error, the Niçois were knocked out three minutes later as Mesloub found the gap between Sarr and Dalbert and got his head (and then shin) onto the end of a cross delivered from the left.

Trailing against the run of play, Le Gym, in spite of the introduction of attacking talent Bosetti and Mahou, didn’t have any clear-cut chances to get themselves back in the game and were eliminated in their first game of the competition.

Now, it’s time to concentrate on the league and particularly, the match against FC Metz, next Sunday at the Allianz Riviera.

A.D.

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