AS Saint-Étienne’s reserve side secured a decisive 3-0 victory against Espaly at the Stade Aimé-Jacquet on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Goals from Lamine Sonko and a brace from Étienne Mendy propelled Sylvain Gibert’s young squad to a dominant win in the sixth round of National 2.
Following a 1-1 draw away at Montpellier and a 3-1 win against Rousset, the young Verts returned home to host neighboring Espaly for their final fixture of the sixth matchday in National 2. Sylvain Gibert’s side wasted no time establishing dominance on the pitch.
Early Lead Set by Lamine Sonko at Stade Aimé-Jacquet
AS Saint-Étienne opened the scoring almost immediately after kickoff. Marten Paalberg launched a ball from the central circle, allowing Lamine Sonko to outpace his defender and successfully finish a face-to-face opportunity against the altiligérien goalkeeper in the fifth minute, making it 1-0.
Sonko quickly threatened again, winning another duel against his marker to set up Adam Baallal in the penalty area. Baallal took a touch before unleashing a strike that rattled off the post in the 9th minute. Just a minute later, the Moroccan midfielder delivered a superb pass to Marten Paalberg, whose first-time shot was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper.
Étienne Mendy Secures the Brace in 3-0 National 2 Triumph
Espaly tried to counter, but goalkeeper Alexis Colombet stood firm. Colombet collected a low shot cleanly in the 15th minute and followed up with a brilliant diving save to deny a long-range, floating effort in the 26th minute.
The hosts doubled their lead before halftime through Étienne Mendy. Capping off a sharp individual technical run down the left flank, Mendy unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box that skimmed the inside of the post in the 37th minute.
After the interval, AS Saint-Étienne maintained their tactical approach. Paalberg provided a headed deviation that sent Mendy clear through on the goalkeeper. Mendy won the one-on-one duel to push the advantage to 3-0 in the 54th minute.
Managing the Match and Looking Ahead to Le Cannet
Despite occasional offensive pushes from the visitors, Alexis Colombet remained untroubled in the home goal as the match wore on. Following a series of substitutions—including Cheikh replacing Mendy, Rised coming on for Dhaoui, Benkou for Lengue, and Konte for Kasia—the tempo slowed and scoring chances diminished.
Paalberg narrowly missed a chance to add a fourth when his header from a corner at the back post went wide in the 83rd minute. When the final whistle blew, the young Verts celebrated a fully deserved victory.
Sylvian Gibert’s side will travel next weekend to face ES Cannet Rocheville. Cannet Rocheville earned a 1-1 draw against fourth-placed Ales over the weekend despite currently sitting lower in the league standings.
