Football in Dordogne: Bergerac B and Boulazac in the fight, Sarlat/Marcillac crosses its fingers

The Ligue 1 clubs will finish their seasons on Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th. Sarlat/Marcillac still has a slim chance of promotion to R2. A division that Boulazac and Bergerac B want to avoid in a long-distance duel.

The season is drawing to a close for the regional championships. While the fate of most teams is already sealed, some are still in the race to secure their place in the league or promotion to the next level. For the Dordogne region, three teams still have a key match to play on this final day of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine championship, Saturday, May 17th for Regional 1, and Sunday, May 18th for the other two divisions.

In the regional elite, the battle for survival is raging between Boulazac and Bergerac B. The Périgord Pourpre players are 10th, one point ahead of ESB, a position they hope to maintain: "We have to be positive," says Christophe Hugot, the Bergerac reserve coach. "Other teams are in more complicated situations. If we look ahead to four relegations from N3 and we stay in our place, that will be good." This figure, depending on the number of relegations from National 3, results in four relegations per R1 group. Langon, Trélissac B and Portes Entre Deux Mers are already in the cart in Group B.

In very poor shape at the beginning of April, Bergerac B has won its last three matches: "Since the match against Langon [Editor's note: 4-0 victory], we've been playing a final phase. It was a round of 16. Then a quarter-final against Saint-Paul [2-0], a semi-final against Biganos [2-1] and, now, it's our final. We're approaching it calmly, with our values ​​and our playing principles. We play to win. We don't make calculations." The Bergeracois travel to the Portes Entre Deux Mers ground, which has been condemned.

“We approach it calmly, with our values ​​and our playing principles. We play to win.”

For their part, the Boulazacois will have their work cut out for them as they host the leader, Cestas. The Girondins are two points ahead of their runner-up and should only need a single point to secure their first place. But Rachid Kerkri's men have already shown this season that they have the resources. In any case, one of the two Périgord teams will experience disappointment this Saturday, shortly before 8 p.m.

In R3, Sarlat/Marcillac is still in the fight for promotion to Regional 2. Second with three points behind (but a particularly favorable goal average) on Aixe-sur-Vienne, the Sarladais are hoping for a slip-up from the leader, who has a difficult trip to the third-placed Tulle B: "We have hope," proclaims FCSM coach Camille Durand. "Tulle is unbeaten at home and we hope they want to maintain their unbeaten record. We will fight until the end."

Defeated the previous day at the Haut-Viennois (2-0), the Sarladais missed a break point and therefore no longer have their destiny in their own hands but will do everything to finish well: "The defeat has dealt us a blow to morale, because we are competitors. And we have other objectives. We want to achieve an 11th home victory. Here, we have achieved 10 in as many matches. And then we must show a good image of the first team, since there will be a presentation of the football school, the women's center, the adapted sports center, as well as a meal for the partners."

In any case, the Sarladais have had a great season, for Camille Durand's first experience as a sole coach: "We have the best attack in Nouvelle-Aquitaine with 74 goals. It's been a successful season, but there will be frustration if the club doesn't regain its place in R2."