Silent Knight, Holy Knight

[Faramir]

We reach the mid-point of the season still holding on to 3rd place. I have to admit I am very pleased with our play so far- and I also have to admit we seem to be playing over our heads so far. The fine work in net by Nemec and Porato and the continual stream of timely goals from Viale have boosted us much higher than I expected. It will be difficult to maintain our lofty position- we don't have anywhere near the depth or resources of any of the other contending clubs- but I believe we have the heart and determination to make a strong effort.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

1- Auxerre 40 pts (+22)

2- Lens 38 pts (+15)

3- Noisy-le-Sec 35 pts (+15)

4- Strasbourg 32 pts (+7)

5- Le Havre 31 pts (+9)

6- Nantes 29 pts (+5)

7- Lyon 29 pts (+1)

8- Bordeaux 28 pts (+11)

9- Guingamp 27 pts (-4)

10- Sochaux 26 pts (+2)

11- Paris-SG 26 pts (+1)

</pre>

[Faramir]

28.12.05

St-Etienne (2) Noisy-le-Sec (3)

St-Etienne- J.Cohen 45 S.Hernandez 74

Noisy-le-Sec- F.Coquio 11 J.Viale 14,62-P

MOM- Julien Viale, Noisy-le-Sec

The final whistle found me very relieved that we had hung on for a very close 3-2 win over St-Etienne. It looked like we might run away with the match in the first half when we struck for two goals less than three minutes apart. A brilliant flick-on by Julien Viale allowed Florian Coquio to cruise past his marker and then his hard blast got through Jermie Janot to give us the early lead. Viale followed with a smash inside the near right post after Pierrick Noel made a dazzling run and then laid the ball off for him at the edge of the six-yard box. St-Etienne drew a goal back when they converted a corner in the last seconds of first half injury time. Janot had a rough first half, but a brilliant second one as he made sensational one-on-one saves against Viale, Coquio and Noel in a ten minute span to keep the match close. We finally scored another goal when Schumann Bah tripped Noel in the area and Viale converted the penalty kick for his 2nd goal of the match. That turned out to be a key goal when St-Etienne again executed a corner and Sebastian Hernandez deflected it past Stephane Porato. They pressed us hard trying to even the match, but we managed to stave them off for an important 3-2 road win.

[Faramir]

7.1.06

Angers (4) Noisy-le-Sec (2) French Cup 9th round

Angers- S.Grimaldi 18 L.Duarte 48,85 O.Guegan 75-P

Noisy-le-Sec- J.El Hajri 64 F.Sika-Sika 78

MOM- Olivier Guegan, Angers

We deserved our fate as we lost to Angers 4-2 in the French Cup match. We didn't play well in most phases of the game and Ghislain Chauray had a ghastly match in net. We fell behind early when we allowed Sebastien Grimaldi to deflect a corner past Chauray. It could have been worse in the first half, except their shooting was off the mark. We went down 2-0 when Lionel Duarte skipped past two defenders to rocket a shot by Chauray. I felt we had to change to a more offensive approach and we went three men at the back for the first time this season. Jawad El Hajri got us a goal back with a run where he took the ball around Sebastien Chabbert. We gave that goal back when David Recorbet was whistled for pushing Olivier Guegnan and he converted the penalty kick. Frejus Sika-Sika raced down and outran their backline before skipping a shot past Chabbert. They finally clinched the match when Duarte hit a 30 yard shot that tinked in off the left post to make the final margin 4-2.

[Faramir]

Julien Viale injured his leg in practice today and will miss the next three weeks. We will have to hope that Jawad El Hajri can live up to filling his shoes for that time. Camacho is in camp now and should be match ready for our next match.

***

14.1.06

Noisy-le-Sec (1) Bastia (0)

Noisy-le-Sec- Camacho 17

Bastia- None

MOM- Camacho, Noisy-le-Sec

It appears that Camacho's arrival was very timely, especially given the injury to Julien Viale. Camacho scored in his debut and it was the lone goal of the match as we edged Bastia 1-0 in a very close match. Pierrick Noel was the architect of the goal, as his run past two defenders on the byline set him up to cross smartly and Camacho was there to deflect it in. That was the only goal we would get as Nicolas Penneteau was tough. Dejan Nemec had a terrific match in net for us and in my eyes should have been the MOM. He made brilliant saves- at least half-dozen all told- in keeping the clean sheet and earning us a win. Yellow cards were plentiful on our side of the ball and both Taribo West and Ivan Hurtado will miss our next match- against 1st place Auxerre- due to yellow card suspensions.

[Faramir]

21.1.06

Auxerre (2) Noisy-le-Sec (1)

Auxerre- T.Tainio 88 C.Chapuis 90

Noisy-le-Sec- Luis Dias 57

MOM- Teemu Tainio, Auxerre

I don't believe I have ever felt this let down. We played a terrific 85 minutes of football, and then couldn't close it out as we let Auxerre come back and beat us 2-1. Dejan Nemec has been a stalwart keeper for us- but he let us down badly today. He was out of position and didn't react on either of their goals. I thought he had a chance to stop both of them, but he just stood there flatfooted on the backline watching helplessly as both shots skittered past him. We had outplayed them- despite being without Camacho, who was called to International duty- and had outshot them 10-6 when they rallied. We could easily have had more goals, if not for unlucky bounces, as Florian Coquio set the tone for us when he hit the post twice past Fabien Cool in the opening minute of play. Pierrick Noel hit the crossbar and defender Boumsong threw himself in front of a shot by Omar Daley when it looked like he would score in an open net. We will have to rally ourselves for our next match, as this was one that slipped away. It was worse after the match when our physio told me that Assou had fractured his ribs and will miss a month. We are being sorely tested by injuries when we don't really have the depth to lose the key players that are hurt. Added to that is Camacho, Taribo West and Lassina Diabete are all called for International duty in the African Nations Cup. We will have to try and survive this stretch as best we can.

[Faramir]

With the transfer deadline looming, and with your approval, I have made the final roll of the dice with our available transfer funds. We have managed to transfer purchase 31 year old Costa Rican FRLC Ronald Gomez and 28 year old Panamanian DC Gilberto Walter. Gomez cost 30K up front with 90K over the next 12 months and Walter cost us 140K. The marketing director told me he expected a sudden upsurge in shirt sales over the two 'big name' acquisitions. Both of these players had been extensively scouted by us over the past two years- and I had transfer bids for both of them turned down last summer, so I am happy to add them to our club. Both offer us immediate help where we need it- and that is the best part of adding them- adding them at the moment we badly need their boost.

***

28.1.06

Noisy-le-Sec (2) Nantes (2)

Noisy-le-Sec- F.Coquio 8 M.Flamini 31-P

Nantes- G.Pujol 15 Antchouet 42

MOM- Florian Coquio, Noisy-le-Sec

It was another match of missed opportunities for us as we played much better than Nantes, but came away with only a 2-2 draw. We took the early lead on a terrific effort by Florian Coquio- who was a problem for Nantes the whole match- as he broke away from the defenders and then took advantage of momentary indecision by Mickael Landreau before sliding the ball past him. We quickly gave that goal back as Antchouet- as much a problem for us as Coquio was for them- crossed and Gregory Pujol deflected it past Stephane Porato. It was a disappointing goal as Porato looked to have it and missed it. We took the lead again when Coquio was tripped in the area by Mario Yepes and Matthieu Flamini converted the penalty kick for his 1st goal. Antchouet evened the match with a dazzling run that saw Gilberto Walter caught flat footed and Porato was completely adrift to allow the easy goal. I removed Porato at halftime and brought Dejan Nemec in and that seemed to settle our defense down a bit. We had our chances to win the match, but Landreau came up with good saves against Pierrick Noel and Luis Dias. I had high hopes when Coquio was again tripped in the area in second half injury time, but this time Flamini missed over the net with the penalty kick to leave us with the 2-2 draw.

[Faramir]

It was a good time to get reinforcements as 19 year old Brazilian AMRLC Diego finally joins us. He should work into our midifield rotation fairly quickly.

***

4.2.06

Lens (2) Noisy-le-Sec (2)

Lens- B.Dagano 44 R.Fanni 71

Noisy-le-Sec I.Hurtado 21,77

MOM- Ivan Hurtado, Noisy-le-Sec

Ivan Hurtado paid huge dividends for us today as he pretty much single-handedly earned us a 2-2 draw while visiting 2nd place Lens. Hurtado put us into the lead when he deflected a corner from Mounir Alkhatib past Charles-Edouard Itandje in the first half. Lens drew even late in the half when Moreira made a beautiful flick-on of a corner and Beli Moumoni Dagano ripped a half-volley past Dejan Nemec to make things 1-1. They took the lead when Stephane Poirot slipped a pass across to the edge of the area to unmarked Rod Fanni and he blasted the ball into the left side of the net. Hurtado had more heroics in him though and his brilliant free kick caught the inside of the right post and went in for a dramatic equalizer and his 2nd of the match. We were forced to hold on from there as Lens demonstrated they wanted this match badly and swarmed us in our end for the rest of the time. The final whistle found us still with the 2-2 scoreline and a satisfying draw. The draw boosted Lens into 1st place, a point past Auxerre. Julien Viale returned to the lineup for the match, but the rust in his game showed and he lacked total match fitness and really wasn't much of a factor.

[Faramir]

The best news for our next match will be the return of our African players who had been away on International Duty at the African Nations tourney. Adding Taribo West, Lassina Diabete and Camacho back to our lineup will be a huge boost. I am toying with the idea of playing at Hurtado at leftback- so that we can start our strongest backline pairing- featuring Hurtado- West- Gilberto Walter- Franck Jurietti.

***

11.2.06

Noisy-le-Sec (5) Guingamp (0)

Noisy-le-Sec- G.Walter 10 P.Noel 28 Camacho 30,34,73

Guingamp- None

MOM- Camacho, Noisy-le-Sec

This was a wonderful performance by us as we welcomed having a full squad again by trouncing Guingamp 5-0. We struck quickly when Gilberto Walter was lurking in the right place at the edge of the six-yard box at the far post on a corner. The ball bounced right to him and he had an easy 1st goal for us. We went ahead 2-0 with a nice touch pass from Omar Daley that gave Pierrick Noel enough room to snap a quick shot past Ronan Le Crom. Camacho then took over and scored a hat-trick on a series of well placed shots past Le Crom- two in a five minute span in the first half and the last off a nice pass from Mounir Alkhatib in the second half to polish off the impressive 5-0 win. The only player who didn't really play well today was Julien Viale, who is still struggling back into playing shape and wasn't sharp at all today. He will be sitting out the next match on yellow card suspension.

[Faramir]

It was a disastrous week of injuries for us as we lost Taribo West, Lassina Diabete and Mounir Alkhatib to various injuries. We could ill afford those with a road trip to face a strong Lyon squad.

***

18.2.06

Lyon (2) Noisy-le-Sec (2)

Lyon- A.Reveillere 44 D.Linares 87

Noisy-le-Sec- Camacho 50,53

MOM- Camacho, Noisy-le-Sec

We made a superb fightback to take a 2-1 lead after playing poorly in the first half, but poor backline play wound up costing us a win and we were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with Lyon. They took the lead when Anthony Reveillere waltzed past Franck Jurietti and struck a rising shot over Dejan Nemec. After an halftime 'discussion', we came out strongly in the second half and some superb passing from Matthieu Flamini as he and Camacho played a pair of 1-2 passing sequences finally allowed us to solve January's Player of the Month Gregory Coupet for a pair of goals. We tried to play conservatively with the lead, but our backline was very unsteady today and kept making mistakes. Dejan Nemec was able to make a few saves to keep us in the lead, but the equalizer saw both Gilberto Walter and Ivan Hurtado caught looking at each other as David Linares swooped in and fired the loose ball past Nemec. Ronald Gomez was very unhappy with himself today- we got him three seperate one-on-one chances with Coupet and the keeper stopped him on each try, which was the difference in not gaining a win here today.

[Faramir]

The loss of Matthieu Flamini to a midweek injury spells more problems for us. Assou is starting to train regularly, but isn't close to being ready or fully recovered from his broken ribs. I will likely have to use Jean-Michel Capoue in a holder role- as no other healthy midfielder really has the ability to play the role.

***

25.2.06

Noisy-le-Sec (0) Laval (1)

Noisy-le-Sec- None

Laval- M.Buzare 40

MOM- Pierrick Noel, Noisy-le-Sec

The tone of this match was unfortunately set in the opening moments when Komi Tchanagi earned 2 yellow cards and a shower only 9 minutes into the match. We kept attacking them despite the lesser number of players and both Camacho and Julien Viale had good chances. Camacho's was saved by Tony Silva, but Julien continues to show little of the form he had before the injury as he missed the net three times today on chances he would have scored on earlier in the season. They scored the loan goal on a corner when Jure Primorac left Mickael Buzare unmarked and he flicked a header past Stephane Porato. We have to be mentally tougher than what we showed today- especially Tchangai- because we absolutely can not afford the consequences of not being so, we just don't have enough talent to do so.

[Faramir]

It is pleasing to note that Camacho earned the February Player of the Month honours. The veteran forward has been a very good addition and if we can just get Julien Viale scoring again- we will have a potent 1-2 punch down the stretch.

Injury woes continue to cost us dearly as we will be without Pierrick Noel for at least the next three weeks due to a groin strain. I will try Omar Daley on the rightwing and this will allow Diego to enter the lineup for the first time.

***

4.3.06

Monaco (3) Noisy-le-Sec (3)

Monaco- S.Adebayor 59 L.Giuly 73-P L.Bernardi 90

Noisy-le-Sec- T.West 47,88 F.Coquio 86

MOM- Taribo West, Noisy-le-Sec

I am not sure whether to fill wonderful or terrible about this match- the twists and turns of its outcome were many and I admit to being terribly disappointed that we didn't win it- but instead wound up with a 3-3 draw at Monaco. The match took another bad injury turn for us in the opening moments when Julien Viale went down again- but fortunately the physio believes only for this match. Florian Coquio came on and played superbly in his place. The first half was spent with Monaco keeper Flavio Roma adding saves to his highlight reel for the end of the season. He stopped Camacho twice with excellent reaction saves and then we witnessed the bad side of Camacho- as he completely disregarded an unattended Coquio not once, not twice, but three times during the match- each time losing the ball on a tackle at the six-yard box. We finally gained the upper hand when Taribo West deflected a corner from Luis Dias past Roma in the opening moments of the second half. That didn't last long as Dejan Nemec, who had a horrible match, did a walkabout that allowed Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor to hammer home the equalizer. Franck Jurietti then made an ill-advised tackle from behind in the area and earned himself a redcard and gave them the lead when Ludovic Giuly converted the penalty kick. Despite having only 10 men we had to attack and we made it pay off when Omar Daley sent a terrific long pass on the left to Olivier Monterrubio (on for tiring Luis Dias) and Monterrubio's cross was just right for Coquio to sneak in and flick past a stunned Roma to even things at 2-2. The Monaco fans were even more stunned when we grabbed the lead as West deflected his 2nd header on corners past Roma to move ahead 3-2. I was desperately trying to get a substitution on- but the referee ignored me- and sure enough, they came right back down and completed a nice tic-tac-toe passing play that saw Lucas Bernardi tap into the net for the dramatic equalizer. We finished out the 3-3 draw, but it seemed a less than fitting reward for all the hard work we put into the match.

[axeman]

Great work with the minnows Faramir. Maybe I'll try my hand in the French league at some point, but at the moment I'm too busy wreaking havoc in Wales

[Faramir]

Thanks Axeman- the kind words are appreciated. A bit of history here- Noisy-le-sec was one of the LLM challenges in the past (I believe it was CM 01-02) and I enjoyed playing them so much that I have played them at least once in every version of the game since (though not all turned into stories). I really enjoy playing in France- it is a nice change- and my favorite place for trying my hand outside of the Isles.

***

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

French First League Standings (10 matches remaining, 28 played- except where noted)

1- Lens 61 pts (+29)

2- Auxerre 50 pts (+19)

3- Noisy-le-Sec 48 pts (+20)

4- Nantes (27) 48 pts (+16)

5- Strasbourg 48 pts (+12)

6- Montpellier (27) 43 pts (+13)

7- Metz 41 pts (-3)

8- Lyon (27) 38 pts (+0)

</pre>

***

11.3.06

Noisy-le-Sec (3) Metz (1)

Noisy-le-Sec- Camacho 23 J.Viale 54 L.Diabate 77

Metz- J.Jager 88

MOM- Camacho, Noisy-le-Sec

The veteran forward Camacho inspired us to this win. He scored our first goal when he never quit pressuring the ball. Stephane Morisot sent a pass back to keeper Guillaume Warmuz. Warmuz took his eye off it a moment to gauge Camacho and missed the ball completely, which left Camacho an easy tap-in. Camacho then set up Julien Viale in the second half to score with a well placed cross. I saw Camacho speaking to Viale at halftime and figured they were working things out- turns out that was correct as Viale escaped the marking of Oneyewu to flick the header in. Viale had a horrible first half, but I was very glad I hadn't subbed for him at that point. We moved ahead 3-0 when Lassina Diabete knocked home the rebound from Warmuz stopping his initial header on a corner. It was Diabete's 1st goal for us. Dejan Nemec was back to his old self and played well today, but lost his clean sheet when Jonathan Jager drilled a rising shot past him after the ball was laid off by Peguy Luyindula. It was a comforting win to gain, as we played much better than our last few matches.

[Faramir]

25.3.06

Marseille (0) Noisy-le-Sec (3)

Marseille- None

Noisy-le-Sec- J.Viale 58 O.Daley 71 R.Gomez 84

MOM- Omar Daley, Noisy-le-Sec

Marseille has been struggling and I was rather upset with our club as we bumbled through the first half hardly making them work at all to defend their net. We threw away passes and made bad decisions the entire half. Some of that may have been due to Camacho being stretchered off the pitch- with strained knee ligaments that will keep him out awhile. I challenged them to play better in the second half and they responded beautifully. Jure Primorac, now reestablished at rightback over Jurietti, triggered the first goal with a nice right side run and short pass to Omar Daley. Daley, who was sensational today, then made a soft chip pass that Julien Viale half-volleyed past Morgan De Sanctis to gain us the lead. We added to it when Ronald Gomez showed nice vision- heading a long pass back to Lassina Diabate. Diabate drew the attention, but Daley kept going down the middle and it was a simple matter for him to take it around a hobbling De Sanctis to score after a good through ball from Diabate. Gomez then added the finishing touch on the 3-0 with a brilliant sliding tackle and then picking up the loose ball before loosing a 25 yard chip into the net over the despondant De Sanctis. So far, we seem to have the depth to survive the injuries down this final stretch of the season.

[Spav]

Great work, Faramir. You seem to have a good feel for things in the transfer market in this story - you've made a couple of inspired signings this season.

[Faramir]

Thanks Spav- at this point of managing in CM 03-04 (what the story was played in)- I had a very good idea of what players would work within the system I was playing.

***

8.4.06

Noisy-le-Sec (0) Sochaux (0)

Noisy-le-Sec- None

Sochaux- None

MOM- Jure Primorac, Noisy-le-Sec

Rarely have I seen such one-sided officiating as we faced today. I won't use it as an excuse, because our performance only merited the scoreless draw that we earned, but when we were whistled for 19 fouls, 5 yellow cards and 1 red card to their 7 fouls- well, please feel free to draw your own conclusions. Lassina Diabate earned the red card at 21 minutes and that threw us off our game for rest of the match. About the only offense we showed in the match was the inaccurate long shots of Omar Daley. They managed even less offense than us- despite the man advantage. It wasn't a pretty result, but it is the one that we earned.

[Faramir]

15.4.06

Strasbourg (1) Noisy-le-Sec (0)

Strasbourg- R.Carlier 64

Noisy-le-Sec- None

MOM- Damien Gregorini, Strasbourg

In a match where we could have done ourselves a lot of good with a win- we lost 1-0 to Strasbourg on a defensive blunder and excellent work from their keeper Damien Gregorini. We had little rhythym offensively as they did a good job of clamping down on Julien Viale and Camacho. Our backline struggled all match, as they never effectively moved the ball up to the midfield. The lone goal came when they managed to free Jari Niemi down the left side and then as we closed him down- we left Rudy Carlier unmarked in front for an easy header past Dejan Nemec into the right side of the net. Gregorini was fantastic in the last ten minutes as we had at least 4 excellent scoring chances- but he parried or tipped each of them away. The loss leaves us even with Strasbourg for 3rd place- but we still hold the spot on goal differential.

[Faramir]

22.4.06

Noisy-le-Sec (2) Rennes (0)

Noisy-le-Sec- R.Gomez 29 O.Daley 46

Rennes- None

MOM- Omar Daley, Noisy-le-Sec

With only 5 matches remaining after this one- we may have dealt Rennes a death blow in their faint hopes of avoiding relegation with the 2-0 win at Salvador Allende. The win came at great cost though- Julien Viale tore his ankle ligaments and is now out until October of next season after going for surgery. We are indeed fortunate to have the veteran Ronald Gomez on the club, and he scored the key goal of the match only moments after entering for the stretchered off Viale. A loose ball lay just beyond the six yard box and Gomez bulled his way past two defenders to snap his shot past Petr Cech. To that point Cech had been unbeatable as we had seen him make 8 saves- many of those difficult ones. We added another goal early in the second half when Ivan Hurtado made a terrific pass that Omar Daley steered inside the left post to make it 2-0. Shabani Nonda was a problem for us to keep track of throughout the match, but fortunately his shooting touch had deserted him today. The match was decided when the referee handed out a redcard to Makengo Arnold Mvuenda midway through the second half, which seemed to remove the last spark of spirit that the visitors had as we finished out the 2-0 win.

[Faramir]

The press are having a field day- shooting down our chances now that are without Julien Viale. Certainly, losing the leading goal scorer in League 1 play is going to be difficult to overcome, but I still think we have a credible forward pairing with veterans Camacho and Ronald Gomez down the last five matches.

***

29.4.06

Bordeaux (2) Noisy-le-Sec (4)

Bordeaux- C.Martins 20-P Darcheville 61

Noisy-le-Sec- Camacho 3,62,76 F.Coquio 78

MOM- Luis Dias, Noisy-le-Sec

It is rare to see a player score a hat-trick and yet not earn MOM honours, but that was how it played out today as we came from behind to beat Bordeaux 4-2 in a crucial road match. Ulrich Rame had already made a terrific save on Camacho in the opening minute of play, but Camacho beat him cleanly after a good pass by Pierrick Noel found him with space in the area. It was a disputed call on Gilberto Walter, but a penalty resulted from his tackle on Youssof Hersi in the area. Carlos Martins converted the penalty and they were back to 1-1 on their first chance of the day. Camacho came close to getting tossed out of the match in the opening moments of the second half. He was hacked down in the area by Planus, but the referee handed him a yellow card for diving. Camacho (and myself to be honest) were very unhappy with the decision and we were fortunate that the referee only warned Camacho on his dispute. That run-in only seemed to make Camacho more determined and focused. Despite the fact that we held sway over much of the play, they took the lead in the second half when Darcheville snapped home a rebound shot after Dejan Nemec parried Marc Planus' header on a corner. We answered almost immediately when Lassina Diabate skipped a pass into the area and Camacho hooked a quick shot into the net for his 2nd goal. Camacho then finished his hat-trick with his 10th goal of the season when he deflected a Noel cross past Rame into the left side of the net. We put the match away when Florian Coquio twisted in the air and flicked a header inside the near right post on a Luis Dias corner. We staunchly defended our lead and didn't allow Bordeaux to rally in closing out the 4-2 win.

[Poyplemonkeys]

Just caught up Faramir, as impressive as ever. KUTGW and bring on Scotland

[Faramir]

Thanks poyplemonkeys

***

French League 1 Standings (34 matches played, 4 remaining)

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

1- Lens 76 pts (+39)

2- Nantes 65 pts (+22)

3- Noisy-le-Sec 61 pts (+28)

4- Auxerre 55 pts (+18)

5- Strasbourg 55 pts (+11)

6- Le Havre 50 pts (+6)

</pre>

***

6.5.06

Noisy-le-Sec (1) Paris-SG (1)

Noisy-le-Sec- O.Daley 27

Paris-SG- B.Ogbeche 90

MOM- Dejan Nemec, Noisy-le-Sec

I have never had my temper tested this way. Forgive me Brother, but I am without words at the referee for this match. I do not dispute that Gilberto Walter deserved his redcard for his punch- and he will certainly be suspended for the remainder of this season, if not next. But, when he sent Camacho off for a push at 30 minutes- it was a clear overreaction on his part. We had fortunately grabbed the lead with only 10 men as Camacho had picked out Omar Daley with a cross and he had volleyed a winner past Lionel Letizi. With only 9 men for a good 2/3 of the match- we tried the best we could. I am proud of the heart and determination the boys and we made some good defensive plays and leaned hard on Dejan Nemec. We almost took away the three points for a win, but Bartholomew Ogbeche got free just inside the edge of the area and his shot trickled in off of Nemec's hands to give them a 1-1 draw. Unless my appeal on Camacho is upheld- and I have little hope of that- we are going to be very undermanned for our final 3 matches. Not only Walter and Camacho were affected by the referee's zeal- we will also lose Luis Dias and Omar Daley on yellow card suspensions for our next match.

[Faramir]

The appeal failed on Camacho, so we will be without him for at least one match (they haven't commented on additional suspension yet).

***

Camacho earned an additional one-match suspension, so will be able to play in our final match, but Walter was suspended for the remainder of the season. It wasn't a surprising result, but it leaves handicapped for the rest of the season as we try to hold on to 3rd place in League 1.

***

13.5.06

Lille (2) Noisy-le-Sec (1)

Lille- B.Cheyrou 82 Mousillou 84

Noisy-le-Sec- F.Coquio 1

MOM- Florian Coquio, Noisy-le-Sec

I am sorry to report that I should bear the burden of this loss. I knew Ivan Hurtado was hurting badly when I brought Ange Ouefio into the match, but I thought we could survive with him limping along- and I felt we needed Franck Jurietti out of the match as he was playing poorly. That decision wound up costing us both goals when Mohamed Djouadi would not stay back to help- instead challenging far out in our area- and that left Hurtado not able to adequately mark Benoit Cheyrou when he equalized. Moments later, they took advantage of Hurtado's lack of pace as he gimped along and Moussillou got free in the middle. Taribo West, who also played poorly didn't come over to pick him up and he had an easy time taking it around Dejan Nemec. Nemec had played very well to keep us in the lead that long- after we had taken the lead in the first minute on a brilliant run from Florian Coquio off the opening whistle. The disappointing loss dropped us to 4th (Strasbourg overtook us for 3rd with a win) and will cost us Djouadi and Jurietti on yellow card suspensions for the next match. Lens clinched the Championship of League 1 with their win today.

[Faramir]

20.5.06

Noisy-le-Sec (2) Montpellier (0)

Noisy-le-Sec- R.Gomez 37,47

Montpellier- None

MOM- Taribo West, Noisy-le-Sec

Taribo West proved he is true team leader with his fine effort and play today in leading us to a 2-0 win over Montpellier. West was everywhere he needed to be on defense and we prevented them from gaining one good scoring chance in the match. Ronald Gomez proved he can find space in the area as he slipped away unmarked to flip a shot past Rudy Riou after Lassina Diabate made a good chip pass to him in the area. Gomez added a goal in the second half when he hammered home a half-volley on a fine cross from Florian Coqiou. With the two goal lead, we played more conservatively and watched Dejan Nemec have an easy time racking up another clean sheet as the backline played very well today. We are back in 3rd place on goal differential as Strasbourg could manage only a scoreless draw. Unfortunately, West will be yellow card suspended for the final match of the season. If we can win that last match- then we should finish 3rd. We can finish no worse than 4th though, as Auxerre lost today and is now locked into a 5th place finish.

[Faramir]

28.5.06

Noisy-le-Sec (3) Le Havre (1)

Noisy-le-Sec- O.Daley 41 R.Gomez 58 F.Coquio 90

Le Havre- S.Barras 86

MOM- Luis Dias, Noisy-le-Sec

I am both pleased and relieved to tell you that our 3-1 win over Le Havre kept us in 3rd place over Strasbourg (who won 2-0). We knew we had to go after the win, as the Salvador Allende fans had groaned when finding out that Strasbourg scored on an early penalty kick. We were having trouble breaking down their backline and also having trouble with luck- as Camacho hit the crossbar behind Vedran Runje and then Luis Dias drilled a low shot off the post. We finally found a way to score when Camacho's centering pass picked out Omar Daley on the fly and Omar rifled a shot into the right side of the net. We added a goal in the second half when Ronald Gomez, who Runje had robbed early in the second half, smashed a shot that got past the keeper for Gomez's 5th goal of the season. The goal would be the last Omar Daley highlight though, as he was stretchered off and will need knee surgery over the summer- he might be ready again by the beginning of next season. Le Havre got new life when Diope took advantage of Daley crumpling to run down the left side and then zip in a cross that Stephane Barras deflected past Dejan Nemec to give them new life. Moments later, Nemec likely saved our 3rd place finish when he made a fingertip save on a rising blast by unmarked Antti Okkonen- tipping it up and squarely off the crossbar (Komi Tchangai managed to clear the rebound). Shortly after that we caught them pressing forward and a nice pass from Luis Dias sprung Florian Coquio to score the clinching goal in second half extra time. We celebrated the win with the fans, who were joyous and thankful of God over our 3rd place finish in League 1.

The club coffers have suddenly swelled by 6.75 Million- the monetary reward for the placement of our finish. We will now have to trust in the Lord's hand that he might send us to Scotland in European competition.

[Faramir]

French League 1- Final Standings

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

1- Lens 83 pts (+41)

2- Nantes 71 pts (+26)

3- Noisy-le-Sec 68 pts (+31)

4- Strasbourg 68 pts (+19)

5- Auxerre 59 pts (+14)

6- Bordeaux 55 pts (+16)

7- Sochaux 54 pts (+3)

8- Paris-SG 53 pts (+5)

</pre>

Selected Noisy-le-Sec Final Stats

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Camacho 10 goals 4 assists 4 MOM 8.00

Pierrick Noel 5 goals 9 assists 4 MOM 7.74

Luis Dias 3 goals 3 assists 2 MOM 7.59

Florian Coquio 9 goals 3 assists 4 MOM 7.50

Omar Daley 6 goals 9 assists 5 MOM 7.50

Julien Viale 22 goals 6 assists 5 MOM 7.50 (22 goals is tops in League 1)

Diego 0 goals 2 assists 0 MOM 7.25

Jamal El Hajri 1 goal 0 assists 0 MOM 7.17

Assou 2 goals 1 assist 0 MOM 7.13

Taribo West 3 goals 3 assists 3 MOM 7.10

Dejan Nemec ? clean sheets 5 MOM 7.03

Mounir Alkhatib 0 goals 4 assists 0 MOM 7.00

Ronald Gomez 5 goals 2 assists 0 MOM 7.00

Jure Primorac 0 goals 0 assists 1 MOM 7.00

Komi Tchangai 0 goals 0 assists 0 MOM 7.00

Ivan Hurtado 4 goals 2 assists 2 MOM 6.93

Lassina Diabate 1 goal 3 assists 0 MOM 6.88

Mohamed Djouadi 0 goals 2 assists 0 MOM 6.82

Gilberto Walter 1 goal 1 assist 0 MOM 6.82

Mathieu Flamini 1 goal 3 assists 0 MOM 6.82

Olvr Monterrubio 0 goals 4 assists 0 MOM 6.75

Franck Jurietti 0 goals 3 assists 0 MOM 6.73

Ange Ouefio 0 goals 0 assists 0 MOM 6.67

Patrice Ouerdi 0 goals 0 assists 0 MOM 6.67

</pre>

[Faramir]

June 2006

Things have changed quite a bit in the Board's perceptions this season. They have made available 2.1 Million in Transfer funds and have altered their outlook on our weekly wages. Last season's 33K a week was 15K over their projected. Now they have changed their tune and consider us 80K under the projected. All of this comes from our completely unexpected 3rd place finish last season.

One Board member confided in me that they believed we would go right back down last season- that was what they established as the baseline for the budget and expectations. Now that we not only are staying up- but heading to European competition- they have changed things a lot. I don't anticipate a lot of changes, since our core players are under contract right now, but I will be trying to add depth at reasonable cost to prepare us for a season where we can no longer expect to be underestimated by other clubs.

[Faramir]

As we approach training camp, we received notice from both Jean-Michel Capoue and Malik Benachour that they planned on retiring. I had expected that news- we also have a couple others that are considering the same thing at this point.

***

The Board has laid out very modest goals for this season as they would just like us to build up the club while hopefully avoiding relegation. I believe our club has proven better than that, but it isn't worth disagreeing with them on the matter, since they have provided a much larger budget and wage scale. One thing I am immediately addressing is adding to the staff of the club. Benjamin Degryse has been constantly overworked as physio, so I have hired Yannick Baudry and Arnau Teneu to help him with the job. I also have added an additional coach- Pierre Maroselli- to help balance out the coaching load.

***

We completed two previous Bosman signings that are bound to help us this season. 21 year old Scottish AMRL Jamie Smith and 26 year old Ghanian SC Peter Ofori-Quaye have now arrived for training. Both players are talented and will help with the mix this season.

[Faramir]

In what may be a key signing, we landed 22 year old DRC Sarr after he was released by Milan. Sarr holds an Italian passport, so won't be considered a foreign player despite his appearances for the Senegal National side. I am not sure how I will fit the pieces together in the backline, but the talent is certainly there for a solid group.

***

Respect for the club has gone up- we have only been given 50-1 odds against capturing the top spot in League 1 play.

***

There were a couple key additions that we added by transfer purchase. I was surprised to find that Monaco was willing to allow promising young FC Laurent Lanteri go to us. Lanteri scored 11 goals in limited play for them last season and is one of the most exciting young players I have seen in France. Though they raised the price to 1.1 Million, I still felt that was a bargain to add him to Noisy-le-Sec. Though most consider him suited for a forward's role, I think he might be a very solid attacking midfielder and hope to experiment with him in the last couple friendlies. With Omar Daley still out for awhile, Lanteri might be perfect to fill the role until he can return. We also added veteran 27 year old GK Christophe Revel for 55K from Rouen. I wasn't pleased with Stephane Porato's work as backup last season and Revel adds a 3rd solid keeper- something that I feel we should have for European competition.

[Faramir]

As you requested, here is quick review of our current club.

Keepers- Dejan Nemec, Christophe Revel, Stephane Porato. Nemec remains our number 1 and I have more confidence in Revel than Porato at present.

Backline- Sarr, Ivan Hurtado, Taribo West, Komi Tchangai, Gilberto Walter, Jura Primorac, Franck Jurietti, David Recorbet, Mohamed Djouadi, Alexandre Douchez. I feel very good about our backline to start the season- this is a solid unit that should provide steady support for our keepers.

Midfield- Pierrick Noel, Jamie Smith, Luis Dias, Mounir Alkhatib, Lassina Diabate, Assou, Matthieu Flamini, Laurent Lanteri, Omar Daley, Diego, Olivier Dos Santos, Patrice Ouerdi, Olivier Monterrubio. The addition of winger Smith gives us improved depth at both wing. Retirements removed our depth in central midfield and I will have to hope Lanteri can adequately handle a starting role- as Diego seems not quite ready yet- at least until Daley gets healthy again.

Forwards- Julien Viale, Peter Ofori-Quaye, Ronald Gomez, Florent Coquio, Camacho, Mickael Devos. With both Viale and Camacho hurt to start the season, we still have enough depth due to the addition of Ofori-Quaye and the development of Devos.

Starting Lineup for Marseille will be:

GK- Dejan Nemec

DR- Sarr

DL- Ivan Hurtado

DCR- Komi Tchangai

DCL- Taribo West

MR- Pierrick Noel

ML- Jamie Smith

MC- Laurent Lanteri

MC- Lassina Diabate

SC- Peter Ofori-Quaye

SC- Florent Coquio

Bench- Mickael Devos

Bench- Luis Dias

Bench- Matthieu Flamini

Bench- Stephane Porato

Bench- Franck Jurietti

[Faramir]

2.8.06

Noisy-le-Sec (3) Marseille (1)

Noisy-le-Sec- F.Coquio 38 L.Lanteri 45 P.Ofori-Quaye 58

Marseille- J.Abardonado 74-P

MOM- Laurent Lanteri, Noisy-le-Sec

I must report it was a dramatic and successful debut for Laurent Lanteri as he impressed our crowd and visiting Marseille with his dynamic and spirited play as he sparked us to a 3-0 win by figuring in every goal we scored. The win was in spite of the referee who handed us five yellow cards and a redcard during the match. Florent Coquio benefitted from a perfectly placed pass from Lanteri to beat Yannick Zambernardi by a step and then snapped his shot past Morgan De Sanctis to give us the lead. Lanteri made a terrific run into space and then capped it off by taking a pass from Jamie Smith before ripping a shot into the right side of the net to score on his debut and send us to halftime ahead 2-0. We moved ahead 3-0 when Lanteri made another terrific pass that allowed Peter Ofori-Quaye to score in his debut. Moments later, Camille Borios drew a yellow card for blatantly pushing Coquio over. When Coquio retaliated he earned a redcard. They failed to capitalize on their man advantage as we played determined defense. The only blemish was Ivan Hurtado's yellow card and penalty for pushing Cesar Delgado in the area. Jacques Abardonado converted the penalty for the only goal Dejan Nemec would allow in the match as we easily held on for the 3-1 win.

[Faramir]

I had faint hopes that our prayers would be answered and we would draw the lone Scottish Club in the Champions Cup 3rd round draw- but alas, it wasn't to be as they were drawn early and we instead will face the winner of Brondby and Zilina (from Slovakia). I would estimate it is much more likely we will face the Danish club- which will prove a difficult test for us.

***

Our selection of a 25 man European squad was complicated by injuries. In the end, I felt compelled to leave Julien Viale off of it- since he won't be ready to play for at least two, and more likely three months. I did decide to add Omar Daley since he will be ready much sooner. Camacho has fully healed and will play now with Coquio's likely suspension.

[Faramir]

5.8.06

Montpellier (0) Noisy-le-Sec (2)

Montpellier- None

Noisy-le-Sec- Camacho 26 M.Flamini 73

MOM- Komi Tchangai, Noisy-le-Sec

Our teamwork continues to be impressive at this early point in the season. Both our goals resulted from excellent vision and passing as we were able to defeat Montpellier 2-0. Pierrick Noel showed the heart of a lion on the first goal. He made a brilliant sliding tackle, then was first to the resulting loose ball, then he dribbled past two defenders before making a precision that cross that found Camacho breaking into the six-yard box late. Camacho flicked his header into the left side of the net past Laurent Pionnier. Komi Tchangai led a well organized defensive effort that took a lot of pressure off slightly hobbled Dejan Nemec and helped him keep a clean sheet in the match. Our goal in the second half came on another superb pass as Jamie Smith earned his 2nd assist by picking out Matthieu Flamini. Flamini, who had come on for tiring Laurent Lanteri, made a strong header into the right side of the net for a 2-0 lead. We managed to clamp down and prevent Montpellier from staging a rally to close out the win. Nemec strained his knee and will miss a week.

[Faramir]

Brondby easily handled Zilina and will be our opponent in the Champions Cup qualifier. The first leg will be mid-month at Salvador Allende. Not surprisingly, Florian Coqiou drew an additional 2-match suspensio, so we are fortunate that Camacho managed to get back to full health as quickly as he did.

***

12.8.06

Noisy-le-Sec (2) Strasbourg (0)

Noisy-le-Sec- Camacho 26,45

Strasbourg- None

MOM- Lassina Diabate, Noisy-le-Sec

We took advantage of an early redcard to Cedric Kante and a superb effort from Camacho to win an important early matchup against top placed Strasbourg 2-0. Camacho had another very good day as he potted two goals in the first half to get us the margin of our win. Both times it was excellent passes from Lassina Diabate to give him the chances and that was most of the reason why Diabate was MOM today. They couldn't break through our smothering defense after the redcard, and it was a clean sheet for Christophe Revel in his debut. The win was costly in that Camacho injured his shoulder and now will miss the Brondby match- a bad loss for us.

[Faramir]

I must confess a grave error on my part as enter European competition. I failed to include Florian Coquio on the roster list and we will pay dearly for that as an injury to Mickael Devos will leave only Ofori-Quaye and Gomez healthy (although I can move Lanteri back up front in a pinch.

***

16.8.06

Noisy-le-Sec (3) Brondby (3) Champions Cup Qualifier 3 1st Leg

Noisy-le-Sec- P.Ofori-Quaye 17,25,66

Brondby- P.Lauritsen 62,82 W.Jones 78

MOM- Peter Ofori-Quaye, Noisy-le-Sec

I must take the blame for the disappointing showing we made once we had grabbed control of the match. Peter Ofori-Quaye enjoyed his first chance in the European spotlight as he scored a hat-trick. Unfortunately, we failed to adequately protect that lead, which we built to two goals two different times. Johan Absolonsen gave our defense fits with his runs and crosses and Peter Lauritsen benefitted from two of those crosses to score past Dejan Nemec. Nemec missed the rising shot from Walter Jones that I thought he might have had, but I can't fault him too much because he made several other key saves. Their three goals mean they can play for a draw against us at Brondby and if that occurs they will likely advance.

[Faramir]

19.8.06

Lyon (0) Noisy-le-Sec (6)

Lyon- None

Noisy-le-Sec- F.Sika-Sika 1,43,80-P J.El Hajri 12 A.N'Koulou 55,89

MOM- Frejus Sika-Sika, Noisy-le-Sec

We knew we would be forced to use our depth with the European play this season, but I hadn't expected to have to dip to the reserves this soon due to all our injuries. At least for this match, the dipping paid off handsomely as Frejus Sika-Sika ,Alain Richard N'Koulou and Jawad El Hajri all played superb matches in helping us to a 6-0 rout over struggling Lyon. When Sika-Sika gave us the lead in the opening minute of play, it was easy to sense our club was full of life and that the home side- currently last- was showing little determination. We took full advantage of that as we used our pace advantage down the wings to cause them immense problems. The most impressive goals were Sika-Sika's 43rd minute header as he showed exceptional vision to spot keeper Gregory Coupet coming well out to challenge him on a long cross and calmly flicked it over him. N'Koulou's last goal showed he has a lot of potential as he took a short pass from El Hajri and blasted away almost before the ball got to his foot to strike a rocket into the net for his 2nd goal of the match.

[Faramir]

23.8.06

Noisy-le-Sec (3) Le Havre (1)

Noisy-le-Sec- Camacho 3 P.Ofori-Quaye 17,28

Le Havre- J.Lesage 78

MOM- Peter Ofori-Quaye, Noisy-le-Sec

Camacho celebrated his return to the lineup by scoring right away on a sensational pass from Peter Ofori-Quaye as he banked a shot in off the post past Vedran Runje. Camacho also keyed our 2nd goal as he made space to take a pass from Jamie Smith and then when Runje made the save, Ofori-Quaye was right there to bang home the rebound for his 5th goal of the season. Ofori-Quaye is proving a terrific addition as he scored his 2nd goal on a shot that seemed to bore right through Runje. Dejan Nemec played very well and almost had a clean sheet as he parried the initial header, and then the rebound off a corner, but Jean-Michel Lesage finally fired in the 3rd try to ruin it for Nemec. Gilberto Walter has wonderful talent, but his lack of aggressiveness is causing problems in his refusal to make some challenges that we expect him to make- especially in our area.

[Spav]

Good luck for the away game against Brondby - you have a fair chance of winning based on the team's current form.

[Faramir]

Thanks Spav

***

26.8.06

Guingamp (2) Noisy-le-Sec (0)

Guingamp- G.Simon 5,80

Noisy-le-Sec- None

MOM- Gregory Simon, Guingamp

I regret to report we suffered our first loss in League play as we played horridly in losing 2-0 to Guingamp. We had no answer for Gregory Simon as he seemed to roam our area at will and the score could well have been worse than what it was. Our backline was completely out of sync today and they didn't play as a unit. Guingamp continually knocked balls over our defenders heads to find one of theirs running free. We managed little offense, but what we did was stopped by Ronan Le Crom. It was a bad match all the way around and not the kind of match you want right before the 2nd Leg of our Champions Cup Qualifier against Brondby.

[Faramir]

30.8.06

Brondby (2) Noisy-le-Sec (2) Champions Cup Qualifier 3 2nd Leg (Brondby advances on Away Goals)

Brondby- R.Wurtz 48 P.Lauritsen 68

Noisy-le-Sec- L.Diabate 32 P.Noel 56-P

MOM- Pierrick Noel, Noisy-le-Sec

There is a litany of things I could offer on this match, but the simple fact is that we had a chance to win it- and we didn't. Their equalizer by Lauritsen was crushing, because it was clear that Taribo West quit on the play- and after Dejan Nemec made a superb save, Lauritsen was unmarked and able to push the rebound into the net. Lassina Diabate and Pierrick Noel both scored their first goals of the season and Noel was brilliant all day, but our hopes were doomed when Peter Ofori-Quaye had a wide open net to shoot at in the last 10 minutes- and he hit the crossbar with his shot. It was ours for the taking, but this club hasn't learned how to take yet.

***

Urgent!- The UEFA Cup first round draw was just held. We have been selected to play Kilmarnock (Scotland). Our first leg is at their Rugby Park on September 27th. Please contact me immediately with instructions.

[Faramir]

2.9.06

Noisy-le-Sec (0) Rennes (0)

Noisy-le-Sec- None

Rennes- None

MOM- Jacques Faty, Rennes

I believe the club could sense the underlying distraction I was experiencing and it seemed to reflect in our lacklustre play. We didn't move the ball very well at all, but we did a nice job of keeping last month's Player of the Month- Rennes forward Jimmy Briand- from ever becoming a factor during the match. The scoreless draw was a fair result for both sides.

[Faramir]

Phillipe Calvart sat stonily staring at the bejeweled crucifix in its case.

Absently, he said out loud to the empty room, "Such a cost. A vow that was binding beyond belief. I could not have forseen..."

He rubbed his ancient, gnarled hand over his face- trying to push away the exhaustion of a lifetime of service. "This is our last hope. If we fail to bring the crucifix to the 5th temple, I fear that it will be *his* this time."

***

The communique came as no surprise to Arnaud dos Addis. He realized when the small, folded piece of paper was slipped into his coat pocket, but he gave no outward sign that he noticed. When done perusing the magazines at the stand, he walked away steadily. Only after he was in the quiet gloom of the shaded trees did he allow himself to palm the paper and glance at it.

"Meet soonest. Oldest place we have met. Danger.- PC"

Arnaud lit a match to light a cigarette and burned the paper in his palm before moving onward on the path.

***

As dos Addis approached the house, he sensed something was wrong. The door was slightly askew, very unlike the Stroud he knew. Cautiously he went and gently prodded the door open.

The sight was a horrific one. The man he had known as Lachelle for years was tied to a kitchen chair and soaked in blood. It was clear that his throat had been slashed and his dead eyes held only the mirror of pain. dos Addis was tempted to run, but instead controlled his emotions and fear.

Deciding that this was not the best place to think, dos Addis pushed away from the door. His caution in prodding it open with a stick had ensured there were no fingerprints of his here, but the death of one he trusted left him wary and bewildered.

"Could they be trying to force me to contact him?" he quietly asked himself.

Not knowing if that was the case, but suspecting some type of observation, he tried to act normally. He walked swiftly to his auto and brought out his cell phone.

"Yes. There appears to have been violence done. The location? The Blanco House, apartment 23. No, I will wait here for the officers to arrive."

[Faramir]

"No, I have no idea why they would commit violence against him. He was a very quiet, plain man. The little I knew about him led me to assume his life was very nondescript," said dos Addis to the Gendarmes and Inspector.

"If you recall even the slightest detail- even if at a future date- please contact us," stated the Inspector.

***

The message left by dos Addis eventually reached Phillipe Calvert.

"I knew it! I knew it!" muttered the ancient man angrily. "They are still here...lurking...after all this time. I guess curses can carry as long as oaths."

Calvert sat thoughtfully staring at the small bejeweled crucifix.

Growling quietly to himself, "What is it? What hold do you have and what are you the key to? I don't understand why this one small item can draw such attention..."

***

Arnaud dos Addis strode through the tunnel once more, this time not as fearful. upon reaching the door, he found it open and the wizened Phillipe Calvert inside.

"You have done well Arnaud. Everything I hoped, expected of you- you have accomplished."

dos Addis nodded acknowledgement, "I still fail to understand the purpose though. Why Scotland? What is going on?"

"Scotland because we have an engagement to fulfill there."

"An engagement?"

"A long awaited engagement."

"But why now? This could have happened years ago..."

"No Arnaud. This is not solely dependant on me now. This somehow has come to directly involve you."

"Me? I still have no understanding of what is happening with this."

The ancient man shook his head, "Understanding is underrated. I lack total understanding as well. But I do know that you and I must make it to an appointment in Scotland."

"Ok. Where in Scotland?"

"We will discover that when we reach there?"

"Why don't we just fly there today then?"

"Ah, that is the crux of it Arnaud. I must escape notice to get there."

"Lachelle? The danger?"

Calvert nodded solemnly, "Brother Lachelle would not tell them- that is why he is dead. Of course he knew little of the happenings and what little he could tell them of late is incorrect."

"He died for nothing?"

"He died for us!" spat out Calvert vehemently. "His death is a beacon, a warning to us. The time for the journey is upon us."

"If what you say is correct- then they are seeking you."

Calvert nodded, "Though it might be more correct to say they are seeking this..." he unwrapped the crucifix.

"Ahhh. So you must escape them to deliver this to Scotland."

"Now you have it young Arnaud," said Calvert- unwilling to give him the details he was still missing at this point.

[Faramir]

"If you must make the trip to Scotland, why not leave now?" asked dos Addis.

"I shall. I will be making the trip on the same plane as your club though."

"How can that be arranged? From what you have told me, they will be watching me closely after this."

"You are correct, they shall be watching you intensely. They will not, however, see me board the plane."

"Do you have a way to stowaway before we board?"

The ancient chuckled was a bit unnerving to dos Addis, "Yes, in a manner of speaking- I have a way to get on board the plane without them seeing me."

"What can I expect in these last weeks before the trip?"

"Ah, now that is an astute and wise question. I am proud of the way you are conducting yourself Arnaud. From this moment forward, you will likely bear intense scrutiny. They have no idea what part in this you may have, just that you somehow have had contact with me. I will disappear after we conclude our meeting and will meet you in Scotland."

"I thought you said you were coming on the plane with us?"

"So I shall. I will be in a disguise- in a manner of speaking."

"How should I look for you then?"

"That is better left unsaid until we reach Scotland Arnaud. I will tell you then."

"What must I do to prepare?"

"Act normally. Manage as you have to this point. Be alert though, they will try to pressure you again- to contact me. I do not think they will overtly threaten you, though I can't completely rule it out."

[Spav]

Faramir, is this story on hold or has it ended?

[Faramir]

Spav- Still looking for the diskette that had the end of the story on it- otherwise I have to rewrite it *sigh*

[Faramir]

Spav- I owed you this, once I found where I had stashed the final portion of the story Sorry for the wait...

***

16.9.06

Caen (1) Noisy-le-Sec (0)

Caen- Reinaldo 78

Noisy-le-Sec- None

MOM- Steeve Elana, Caen

I must admit my apprehension is building over our plans. I tried to remain involved in our match with Caen, but found myself wondering what would happen in just 10 days. We played well enough to win, but Steeve Elana was superb in their net. The lone goal came on a pair of defensive mistakes by us as Michael Cerielo tried to cross from the left sideline all the way to Franck Jurietti on the right. Predictably, they cut the cross off and then Jurietti and Komi Tchangai missed chances to tackle Reinaldo before he fired a shot off of Christophe Revel's hands and into the net.

***

23.9.06

Noisy-le-Sec (2) Paris-SG (1)

Noisy-le-Sec- L.Lanteri 40 O.Daley 87

Paris-SG- Pauleta 50

MOM- Dejan Nemec, Noisy-le-Sec

I have to admit wondering if this would be my final match managing and it did cause me to focus closely. We didn't play well in the first half, but did hold the lead due to Laurent Lanteri snaking past two defenders before firing a shot past Lionel Letizi. They evened it early in the second half when Pauleta outleaped Taribo West and flicked a header past Dejan Nemec. They saw Amdy Moustapha Faye redcarded for a vicious tackle from behind. We managed to capitalize on the extra space when Lanteri flicked on a crossing pass and Omar Daley drilled a shot inside the left post for the match winner. If this is my final match, it has been a wonderful run...

***

Arnaud sat eating breakfast at the cafe. His blood turned to ice when a low menacing voice calmly asked, "Where is the Knight?"

"Knight? What are you talking about?" asked dos Addis as he spun around.

A cloaked shadowed figure sat in the darkened corner behind him. "I want the Knight, boy. Not you. Give me the Knight and nothing will harm you."

"I don't know any Knight!"

Arnaud could see the gentle shake of the shadowed head, "Don't play me the fool boy. You know where he is."

dos Addis grimly shook his head, "I don't know any Knights."

The figure stood up and started walking away before turning back. dos Addis could only see the glint of coal black eyes and no features on the face. A flick of the figures' wrist sent a small package into his lap. "We don't play games boy. Lead us to him."

With trepidation, Arnaud opened the package. He managed to stifle a wretch in his throat as he viewed the severed finger of Lachelle.

***

Arnaud spent the moment in silent prayer.

"Lord guide my actions, steps and words. Honor and Praise to you in the Highest. Amen."

He muttered to himself, "I refuse to succumb to fear. They will not drive me before their evil as a cow to the butcher."

Paul Quetin looked in on him in his office, "Are you Ok?"

"Yes, I am fine. Just a little preoccupied."

***

26.9.06

The sun was setting on the western coast of Scotland. Its fading light revealed only a momentary flash as the bejeweled knife was held up by the ancient hand of Phillipe Calvart.

"They will come now. Let us hope we are strong enough," said Calvart quietly to Arnaud dos Addis.

The two of them were crouched before a mere slit of an opening that only hinted at the cave behind. Their rocky ledge extended shortly and then dropped off a few feet to a wind blasted beach.

"I still do not understand the 'whys' of this?" said dos Addis without any emotion in his tone of acceptance.

"Without the dagger, the temple just beyond us remains vulnerable to the dark forces that have always lurked in this land. We thought the land rid of those forces when Wallace gave his life to renew the Stone, but we did not foresee the importance of this dagger. Lacking it there is a niche that can be exploited- that could eventually threaten the Temple."

"Why not just place the dagger in its proper place?"

Calvart shook his head, "It is not as easy as all that my son. We must have a tremendous force available to alter what Wallace set in place. We unfortunately need the massive force being brought against us very shortly. Can you not feel the flux of the evil force begin to tighten around us?"

dos Addis merely nodded as his throat tightened.

"I only hope that Wallace's ancient bindings are enough to see us through. Otherwise, we may all be undone."

Both men waited apprehensively as the blackness seemed to curl around them. A malevolent laugh spat into the air. "Did you really think we would miss the opportunity to attend to the destruction of your cursed temple," stated a disembodied voice. As the being came into clearer focus, dos Addis gasped- it was the same dark figure who had come calling on him.

Calvart stood, holding the dagger as high as his withered arm would allow, "No. I knew you would come. The lure is too great. You have sought this for some many ages..."

The dark being laughed again, "What cost to you dear Knight. All these years wasted for a vow that will result in nothing but ruin for your beloved Temple. Has it been a pleasant oath?"

Calvart shook, but never lowered the dagger. "It is always worth the cost that He demands. My life is nothing, given His sacrifice. That has always been known to the Templars."

"Fool! Wallace gave his life for nothing, just as you do."

The creature's hands danced in a weird sequence and the power being raised was palpable.

Calvart said under his breath, so only dos Addis could hear, "Be strong Arnaud. Be true. Faith in Christ will win out."

The creature cast its arms forward, the spell complete. A blinding procession of raw power pinned Calvart and dos Addis back into the crack of the wall. Breath would not come against the flurry of raw, dark emotion guiding the force.

As dos Addis thought he was fading from life, he could hear Calvart clearly, "The time is now Lord, take us into your bosom. Return us to Your embrace."

A blinding beam of light suddenly roared out of the small crack. It engulfed Calvart and dos Addis and pulled them in as they were absorbed into its glow. Seemingly, a rightness, a completeness brought them into its place and the protection of the temple was now complete.

The creature screamed in pained frustration, "TRICKED! They tricked me."

A gentle laughter was the last conscious thought of dos Addis as his soul was welcomed into a worthy place by a suddenly young Philippe Calvart. A voice boomed out to the creature, "Begone, your time upon this land is now measured in days evil one. The Light will encompass your land."

dos Addis felt himself fading out of of his body, as other hands welcomed him into their fold.

***

Noisy-le-Sec Manager Missing!

On the eve of their match with Kilmarnock, Noisy-le-Sec finds themselves readying themselves under Assistant Manager Paul Quetin. Arnaud dos Addis has been missing since shortly after the club arrived in Scotland and foul play is feared. He was last seen escorting an elderly gentleman into a bookstore and has not been seen since. The Manager of the bookstore was in the upper portion and stated he heard the door open, but never noticed who might have entered his store.

The End

[Spav]

Ah, fulfillment at last!! Thanks, Faramir.