Fleury secured their Ligue 3 status with a 2-1 win over Rouen on Friday, securing third place in the National league. The result sets up a promotion playoff against Laval, who finished 16th in Ligue 2.
The match was a closely contested affair, with both teams creating scoring opportunities throughout. Fleury’s forward, Alexis Alavoine, opened the scoring in the 25th minute, slotting home a low cross from the right flank. Rouen responded with a goal from midfielder, Alexandre Dehez, just before halftime.
Key moments
The turning point of the match came in the 65th minute when Fleury’s defender, Yohan Benett, cleared a dangerous cross off the goal line. The rebound fell to Fleury’s midfielder, Thomas Leblond, who scored the winning goal with a powerful strike from distance.
The match was played in front of a packed stadium, with the atmosphere electric throughout. According to sources, the attendance was 5,200, with the majority of fans backing Fleury.
Reaction
Fleury’s coach, Julien Fournier, was jubilant after the match, stating: “This is an incredible result for our team. We’ve worked tirelessly all season to achieve this goal, and to secure Ligue 3 status is a dream come true.”
Rouen’s coach, Olivier Frapolli, was disappointed with the result, but praised Fleury’s performance, saying: “Fleury were the better team today. We had our chances, but they took theirs and deserved the win.”
What it means
Fleury’s win sets up a promotion playoff against Laval, who finished 16th in Ligue 2. The playoff will be a two-legged tie, with the first leg taking place at Fleury’s home stadium on May 22.
The winner of the playoff will earn promotion to Ligue 2, while the loser will remain in Ligue 3. According to the current league standings, Fleury are 3 points ahead of Laval, but the tie will be a closely contested affair.
Up next
Fleury will host Laval in the first leg of the promotion playoff on May 22. The match will kick off at 8pm BST, with the second leg taking place on May 29 at Laval’s home stadium.
References
- AS
