Only the verdict of the 38th and final day can confirm it, but the winter recruits of Saint-Étienne may have created a click, this Monday evening at the René-Gaillard stadium. Entering after the hour mark, Kader Bamba hit the post twenty minutes later. Gaëtan Charbonnier, on the rebound, punished the Chamois (1-0, 86th). The Greens are no longer last, but eighteenth, just ahead of Niort.
Stunning self-sacrifice, Laurent Batlles’ men never gave up. Yet there was something. From the 7th minute, Benjamin Bouchouari hit the post, at the conclusion of a nice movement led with Mathieu Cafaro. Before a string of clear chances: Dennis Appiah (21st), Jean-Philippe Krasso (28th), Cafaro (53rd), Victor Lobry (60th), Bouchouari (71st) and Saïdou Sow (85th) all came close to opening the score. The last, a huge mess two meters from the goal line, confirmed the general impression: Saint-Étienne would have had immense regrets if he had not won.
The Chamois are also aiming for maintenance, and that is not really seen. Only Bilal Boutobba, twice (62nd, 83rd) forced Gautier Larsonneur to deploy. For the rest, the Greens have pushed, deserved their success. The entry of Kader Bamba (65th), two days after the announcement of his loan, brought the spark that was missing to unleash this game of fear. And this danger which desperately deprived Gaëtan Charbonnier of balloons. All it took was one chance for the striker, who arrived from AJ Auxerre on 22 December.
A second success in a row that changes everything
Already decisive in additional time against Caen, to equalize (1-1, December 30), the rookie therefore “offered” four points to his team in four matches for his new club. Enough to start a new dynamic: ASSE has a second success in a row after Laval (1-0, January 10), and is only three points behind Dijon, sixteenth and first non-relegation.