France fail to convince as Kerr's charges stick to task

SOCCERWORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFYING - GROUP SEVEN:Faroe Islands 0 France 1

ANDRE-PIERRE Gignac’s first-half strike saw France squeeze past Brian Kerr’s Faroe Islands in in Torshavn last night. They narrowed the gap to Group Seven leaders Serbia to five points but it was far from convincing, striker Gignac grabbing the only goal three minutes before the break.

France dominated possession but they lacked a cutting edge up front without skipper Thierry Henry, who was missing with an Achilles injury.

It was basically shooting practice from the first whistle for France. It took them 42 minutes to open the scoring but they did not appear ruffled at any stage.

Playmaker Yoann Gourcuff almost scored when his far-post header crept just wide before his shot on the turn was deflected over in the 18th minute. By that time, Nicolas Anelka and Gignac had wasted decent openings but the latter made no mistake just before half-time.

The lively Florent Malouda clipped a ball into the box for the Toulouse ace, who spun his marker and fired a 12-yard shot into the bottom corner.

With the Faroes having only scored one goal in qualifying, the odds of a comeback were remote. France’s Jeremy Toulalan shot just wide after 50 minutes before a spot of pinball in the box resulted in the ball clipping the Faroes’ bar and being cleared to safety.

On the hour mark, Malouda got on the end of a deft Gourcuff chip but glanced his header wide. That was the Chelsea winger’s last piece of action as he was replaced by Franck Ribery. Gignac was then twice defied by goalkeeper Jakup Mikkelsen while Gourcuff was denied a goal by the assistant referee’s flag in the 83rd minute.

Ribery fired a snap-shot the wrong side of the post in stoppage time but the three points were never in doubt for the French.

FAROE ISLANDS:Mikkelsen, Olsen, Bo, Danielsen (Petersen 44), Gregersen, Naes, Benjaminsen, Davidsen, Lokin (Arnbjorn Hansen 84), Samuelsen, Holst (Elttor 28). Subs not used: Nielsen, Eliasen, Einar Hansen, Mortensen, Borg, Edmundsson, Christian Hogni Jacobsen. Booked: Benjaminsen, Gregersen, Naes.

FRANCE:Lloris, Escude, Evra, Gallas, Sagna, Lassana Diarra, Gourcuff, Toulalan, Malouda (Ribery 65), Anelka, Gignac. Subs not used: Mandanda, Abidal, Squillaci, Alou Diarra, Benzema, Remy.

Referee:Michail Koukoulakis (Greece).