Senegalese midfielder Cheikh Fall scored the first brace of his young Ligue 2 career on Friday, in Pau FC’s 3-1 win at Metz. At 22, having arrived from Saint-Étienne as a back-up, he is now establishing himself as a starter.
On Friday evening at Metz, Cheikh Fall scored twice in Pau FC’s 3-1 victory, according to La République des Pyrénées. A brace, the first of his Ligue 2 career.
The first came from a header, from the first corner of the match, at the near post: he beat the Lorraine defence for pace. The second he earned by darting in front of Metz defender Hacène Benali to cut out a pull-back from his team-mate Babacar Leye. It is his third goal of the season.
Already a scorer at Guingamp
It is not the first time the Senegalese has found the net this season: he had already scored at Guingamp, in a match the Béarnais lost 1-2. Last season, he had already scored with a header on the pitch of leaders Troyes.
From back-up to starter
Arrived from Saint-Étienne as a back-up, Cheikh Fall is now asserting himself as a starter. He is among the players with the most playing time in the Béarnais squad, according to La République des Pyrénées.
Pau FC coach Thierry Debès is full of praise for the man and the player: “We’re happy for him because he’s someone of rare humility. In those virtues of hard work and humility that I try to instil in the team, he’s a textbook example and I’m happy that he’s being rewarded.” He added: “Today, he’s become one of the almost indispensable players.”
A collective success
Cheikh Fall, for his part, directs the praise towards the collective. “First of all I congratulate the whole team, because it wasn’t easy to get a result here at Metz. But we managed the intensity of the match and won,” he told La République des Pyrénées.
The date and opponent of Pau FC’s next Ligue 2 match are not specified in the available sources.