Fate does not seem to want to smile too much on the Chaumontaises: Saturday, April 30, they lost (28-36) against SLUC Nancy, once again diminished, but well in their match. The last cartridge for a victory, before the descent, was probably blown.
Seven against the double: the Prefectural had achieved a feat in these conditions, against Ivry. An almost identical collective presented itself, Saturday, April 30, against Nancy who play the maintenance. There will not have been a second miracle of its kind, despite a game conducted as possible.
It’s simple: Chaumont has never led the entire game. Nancy opened the mark. The Haut-Marnaises, only seven including Manon Hourriez with a damaged knee, did not burn their energy from the start, at the risk of running out of fuel. After a quarter of an hour, it did not rain goals in torrents (6-8, 15′). Chaumont knew how to keep itself alive.
The Lorraines, moreover, did not show an involvement worthy of the challenge of their fight to stay in National 2. But the Haut-Marnaises did not seem to settle their worries about losing balls, which certainly cost them advantage (albeit fleeting) on the scoreboard.
Katy Bernard once again spoke about her experience and her shooting power. But the success was not at the rendezvous: either she hit the bar, or the visitor door took out the appropriate parades. Decidedly…Rolange Bahouanassoni, she once again showed her importance at the pivot (4/4 in the first half).
For Chaumont, there were two opposing “terrors”: Diana Damian and Salma Helaoui were the quickest to score, often with ease. At halftime, the hole is made (10-16), but no doubt the public believed in a comeback in the second half. The “Lightning Cheerleaders” took care of raising the mood during the intermission.
Emotions of all kinds
This Saturday April 30 was a day of tribute to Paul Flamérion, local elected official and great supporter of the club, who died in June 2020. Local and regional elected officials came to watch the match, alongside the family of the former departmental councilor. The Chaumontaises had the mission to recover the six goal difference. The locals started their second period well, maintaining a five-goal deficit (15-20, 42′). The passes were going well, Lorraine’s ball losses were seized. “You see that it works, so let’s go” encouraged coach Gwénaël Richard. But the Lorraines called the Champenoises to order (18-28, 50′).
And yet, Chaumont has shown that its players have, in terms of level, their place in the fourth division. Their last five minutes were played to the fullest, by all the players: Eglantine Clairin made a festival from her right wing, Manon Hourriez overcame her knee pain… and Eléa Lefèvre, with her fifteen saves, she made some, to her alone, more than the two guardians together.
This surge of energy was not enough to avoid defeat (28-36), but both the public and the coaches praised the courage of the players. David Hourriez takes his “hats off to this team which never gave up. The gap was much reduced in these circumstances, I am very proud of it. And Gwénaël Richard adds: “Finally we showed the level N2 on this meeting! Losing only -8 is a sign that the team has found some play. It bodes well for the future. » Note that Gwénaël Richard played his last match of the season on Saturday. Discussions will be held with the club to continue the adventure next season. In the meantime, there will remain a final duel at the Chaumontaises, on May 14: Rosières Saint-Julien. Two more weeks to go!
Bastien Dauby
Three questions to Flora Maire: “We went all the way”
Daily JHM: You have been diminished by absences. Despite everything, you went to the end of your match, despite the defeat. How do you analyze this meeting?
Flora Maire (half-center of Chaumont Handball 52): “At seven, it’s always complicated, especially if the bench opposite has double the number. We come back to the same things, but we keep in mind that we took up and succeeded in the challenge in Ivry. This Saturday, we did what we could. We wanted to play a good game in front of our home crowd. Physically, it was obvious that it was going to be complicated for us. »
JHM Q: It goes without saying that your championship has been like a way of the cross. Before the last day, in two weeks, what is your assessment of your season?
F. M. : “Personally, I remember a lot of things, including the solidarity and fighting spirit that we were able to show in difficult times. With everything that happened to us (players leaving, no gym for a while, no coach), I think a lot of teams would have exploded in midair. However, we remained present and went to the end of the season, even at seven. This is the most important. »
JHM Q: After this campaign, next season needs to be prepared. Are any changes planned for you?
F. M. : “Other clubs have contacted me. I have to go do some tests soon, even if I can’t divulge their names, so as not to confuse anyone. But these are only tests, they are not binding. I just have to explore the possibilities. Nothing is certain at the moment, but I will do my best to have certainties in the short term. »
Collected by BD
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