SAC’s footballers kicked off the 2024-25 season with a well-deserved 6-4 victory against the Pascal Gastebois XI on Sunday as a good mix of youth and experience proved a winning formula.

There was a real generational feel to the SAC line-up with sons of long-term club members making up much of the team. There was a welcome return to the playing fields of SAC for Camillie Willey, strong debuts for Thomas Colet and Eliot Strouts with Rhys Parkin dynamic in goal, Alex Curtin hard to get past at left-back, and Philip Lebrec as sure-footed as usual in midfield.

On a rain-soaked pitch, the final 6-4 scoreline was slightly flattering for the visitors whose strong attack and midfield contrasted with weak defence and stand-in goalkeepers.

Crucially, SAC had the speed and finishing power — with great passing between Taha and Niels on the right wing — to take advantage of these weaknesses while our defence held true — shout-outs to Ignacio, Emmanuel, and Alexandre Véran and Fred Appert despite a few late-match lapses.

SAC opened the scoring through Anselme before PG equalised early in the second half only for our young attackers to smash home four quick goals including strikes by Eliot, Philip, Naël and Aléxandre Véran. The visitors, now 5-1 down, kept fighting and after a soundly struck penalty, they took advantage of a tiring home team to score two more goals before SAC put the game out of reach with a sixth goal about five minutes before the end.

Our next match is on Sunday 13 October against FC Invalides.