After the chases and overtime, the third stop in our series on the masters of time looks back at the goals scored in the final seconds. Back to those evenings when everything changed in the last moments.
There was a time not so long ago but one that the under 20s cannot know, when the only window to watch English football was called the Sunday Team, a sort of Sunday mass for European football lovers since it is ‘was then the only television show where you could see the goals of the foreign championships. Its host at the time, the late Thierry Gilardi, then his successor, the no less famous Grégoire Margotton, were ecstatic at the magnificence of British football where everything could change in a few seconds. The master of goals scored in the last seconds was then Manchester United, which had earned Gilardi and then Margotton to baptize the last moments of the Red Devils matches “ the Fergie Time ” in tribute to the legendary Man United coach , Sir Alex Ferguson. But we must also recognize that, in its history, Montpellier has also had its Fergie Time; those famous moments of popular jubilation where – like Gaëtan Laborde’s equalizing goal against OM on April 9 – a goal in the last seconds allows you to snatch the point of the draw or the 3 of victory. Back on those moments of grace where time suspended its flight for a moment to give rise to unforgettable moments of drunkenness
August 3, 2002: MHSC 1-0 RENNES: Franck Silvestre remakes the coup
The MHSC returned to the top flight a year earlier and opened its season at La Mosson against Stade Rennais from Petr Cech, Philippe Delaye, Olivier Sorlin and Toifilou Maoulida. 4th best defense in the championship the previous season, the MHSC clings, resists and does not end in a fiercely contested match… until this last action concluded by a pailladin center diverted by the hand of Anthony Réveillère. Penalty! Indisputable specialist in this field, Franck Silvestre comes face to face with the future immense goalkeeper of Chelsea who played that evening, n ° 34 in the back, the first match of his career in Ligue 1. The Montpellier captain does not tremble in front of the stature of the Czech international doorman and takes it against the grain. Like a wink of fate, almost two years ago, when the MHSC had just gone down to Ligue 2 and absolutely had to come back up immediately, this same Franck Silvestre had offered an immensely important victory on the road to the ascent, against Niort by Frédéric Garny with a magnificent free kick in added time. “When I was younger, it was not my register to take free kicks and then one day I got into it and got a taste for it. But I admit that even I was surprised that day, Franck explained to us a few months ago about this famous goal. The teams played very tightly together, it was difficult to find spaces and, when you couldn’t find the loophole, set pieces were very useful. Scoring the winning goal in the dying seconds of a match is also a very pleasant feeling. “
December 23, 2009: LYON 1-2 MHSC: JORIS MARVEAUX LEAINS LLORIS WITHOUT REACTION
MHSC is in its first season in the top flight after five years of purgatory downstairs. René Girard’s men had a great start to the season and arrived without pressure for the last match of the first leg on the lawn of the Gerland stadium and its prestigious tenant at the time, Olympique Lyonnais. The five-star cast of the Rhone club – which consisted of Bastos, Pjanic, Cris, Lisandro and Gomis in its workforce – was something to scare, but certainly not to Victor Hugo Montaño and his teammates. Author of a stratospheric match during which he had turned Cris – his bodyguard that night – the Colombian striker had opened the scoring in the 53rd minute of play but Bafetimbi Gomis allowed the proteges of President Jean- Michel Aulas, to snatch the equalizer 6 minutes from the final whistle (1-1, 84th). Too bad for the Montpellier residents, who will not win this beautiful poster. Are you sure? A final free kick from Tino Costa and Joris Marveaux, with an angry header at the far post, offered victory to his team at the same time as his first personal goal in Ligue 1, leaving no chance for the Lyon goalkeeper at the time , a certain Hugo Lloris. A prestigious success with very particular relief in a season which saw the Montpellier residents touch the summits despite their promoted status, with a magnificent 5th place in the standings at the end of the season.
January 20, 2010: RC LENS 0-1 MHSC: The same shot, twice in a row!
A few weeks later, on January 20, 2010, the MHSC moved to the Bollaert Stadium to face the Racing Club de Lens. Between the two clubs promoted to L1 that year, the duel was undecided until the 85th minute. The snow is falling harder and harder and the Lensois audience tries to warm up by singing. He will finally be frozen by this laser pass from Tino Costa to Victor-Hugo Montaño, who was going to beat the northerner goalkeeper and offer victory to his team 4 minutes from the final whistle (photo in the foreground). A saving goal to the taste of déjà vu since the Montpellier had made the same blow a year earlier in what was then a shock from the top of the Ligue 2 table. While the 2 teams were tied (0-0), and Montpellier were even reduced to ten since the 77th minute of play and the expulsion of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Rolland Courbis had attempted the bet (insane one thought) to launch 2 attackers (Aït-Fana and Lacombe) instead of Ouadah and Deruda. A winning move since Victor-Hugo Montaño opened the scoring with a vicious ball out of reach of Runje (0-1, 89th / photo in the background) before Grégory Lacombe, well launched in depth, doubled the bet a few moments more late, for a dream finale and a very important victory on the road to accession.
26 NOVEMBER 2011: SOCHAUX 1-3 MHSC: A treble in history
We still see the face of René Girard – even in the gallery that evening / inset – fulminating with rage while shouting to vent his frustration. While quietly leading the score after a first goal from Olivier Giroud on a service from Souleymane Camara (50th), the MHSC had just been joined 6 minutes from the end on a goal from the Souleymane Sochalian of the same name. Montpellier striker, Abdoul Razzagui Camara, after a mess in the area (1-1, 84th). On November 26, 2011, the MHSC therefore seems to set off to drop important points in the race for Europe. Time passes and the frustration intensifies until the 87th minute of play: On a long clearance, Olivier Giroud holds the ball back to goal and serves Benjamin Stambouli who advances before serving again the Montpellier striker who deceives Teddy Richert with a magnificent right lob, yet supposed to be his bad foot. On a service from Rémy Cabella, the current Chelsea striker even offered himself a hat-trick a few moments later (1-3, 89th) Sacred money time!
Tomorrow, second part of our dossier devoted to Money Time
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