Gazelec Ajaccio have crashed back into the Championnat National after a disappointing campaign that concluded with them suffering a 3-2 defeat on aggregate against Le Mans.
Two months earlier, it seemed unlikely that the Corsican club would be drawn into serious relegation danger, having just beaten AC Ajaccio 1-0 in the derby match, rounding out a four-game undefeated sequence that had seen them take eight points. However, they would earn just two points from their remaining seven matches.
They were not without their chances to kick clear of trouble; they lost at home to struggling Sochaux and also failed to overcome Chateauroux, who had nothing to play for. Even in the second leg of the playoff, they missed a stoppage-time penalty that could have seen them survive.
Ultimately, they were overly reliant on striker Romain Armand for goals. He netted 13 times and was a vital presence to their attack. Beyond him, they did not carry enough of a threat, with several players rather underperforming, both in terms of creativity and in terms of finishing. Indeed, Armand’s goals accounted for nearly 50% of those scored by the team.
Jimmy Roye contributed four goals from the midfield, but the other players in that area of the team managed a combined total of just one. Admittedly, this corps was primarily charged with defensive responsibilities, but this was not enough. Moreover, Joris Marveaux, their key player in this regard, missed much of the season injured and struggled to find his best level once available.
There was a similar lack of quality in the defence, although ill-discipline seriously undermined Gazelec’s efforts in this area two. Perhaps their two most talented defenders, Julian Palmieri and Ousseynou Ba, let them down with the number of suspensions they picked up. The experienced Palmieri was especially culpable, earning three red cards and over 10 matches in bans collectively. Gazelec did not have the depth to cope in the end.
Winning their place back in Ligue 2 will be tough for the Corsicans, who had been punching above their weight to reach that standard in the first place. They should have been strong enough to survive at this level, but it was not to be.
