COUNDON COURT OB 0-9 MONTPELLIER FC: FULL REPORT BY THE MOWDOG...

Coundon Mauled By Slick Montpellier…

Coundon Court OB 0-9 Montpellier FC

A really energetic and creative performance by visitors Montpellier left hosts Coundon chasing from the very start of this match, played in three thirty-minute periods. Scoring three times in each third showed how the Orange maintained their dominance, even squandering a penalty, which would have been busy midfielder Dom Oliver’s fourth goal. Lee Hendrie was audacious at times, often looking one way but passing another and using anchor-man and skipper Trev Edwards as a sidekick in the engine room. The only goal I missed was Hendrie’s, the ninth, partly because it happened too quickly and partly because I was being plied with questions by some lads on the sideline. The combination play by the guests was slick much of the time and if home ‘keeper Bramwell hadn’t made some good saves and the goal-frame hadn’t been struck by Hendrie, Kelan Shepherd and Sim ‘The Chef’ Smith, the scoreline might have been even more emphatic. Ryan Amoo looked classy in the Montpellier defence, with some fine positioning and well-struck long passes and Kyle Bishop at left-back made two remarkable goal-line clearances within a few seconds from Coundon’s number 7, as well as supporting his offense, as did right-back Torryn Coleing.

SIMEON SMITH: "I'M THE CHEF... GIMME THE INGREDIENTS & I'LL PROVIDE THE FINISHED ARTICLE..."

OFF LEE GOES...

Montpellier expected the game to begin at 7.30 but they were hurried into a 7.10 start, or thereabouts, with limited warm-up time but they soon got into their rhythm and limited their hosts to one real attempt at goal during the opening 30 minutes. The number 7 benefited from a quickly taken free-kick but both his initial drive and his rebound were blocked by Bishop with fine flying challenges. Otherwise, the Orange netted three times, through a Sim ‘The Chef’ Smith brace and an Oliver volley but home ‘keeper Bramwell did well to fist a curling effort by Hendrie over his goal-frame and the ex-Villa schemer shoved a half-volley too high from the ensuing corner. Two superb Amoo passes forced Coundon onto the defensive, before Smith fed Oliver, who curled a good chance wide and the big man headed over the crossbar, following a Coleing cross and a defensive slice by home defender 6. Another Hendrie drive was too high also and he even attempted to lob the stranded Bramwell from 40 yards, whilst falling over… It’s what he does.

DID THE CHAP ON THE SIDELINE GET THE POINT?

It was a surprise to some Orange players that the game was to be played in three periods too, but after the first one, the proceedings became a little feisty. Hendrie, then Oliver were hacked down like scythed crops on a Badsey farm but the referee wanted to play an advantage which never materialised, annoying Hendrie into showing little of the petulance which scattered his professional career. He was rightly angered, however. He powered another drive too high but Oliver looked really menacing for the Orange, making one 40 yard diagonal run before shooting just too high, forcing a fumble by Bramwell and firing a low effort, which the ‘keeper saved with his feet, although Smith’s headed rebound, which struck the crossbar would probably have been disallowed for offside anyway. 

AMOOOOOO...

The most thrilling second period chances fell to the Morecambe and Wise pairing of Hendrie and Edwards. Hendrie, constantly creating opportunities with his deft passes and feints, set up Edwards for a 23 yard drive just past a post, then Hendrie himself lashed a fine shot against the crossbar from 25 yards, following a superb move involving Hendrie himself, James Wilcock and Justin Barnes. The three period goals were secured by Oliver, Wilcock and Edwards but at least home substitute 14 looked lively in this third, driving two efforts just off target and being challenged well by Amoo on another occasion, before the number 10 in black socks drove a shot just over the crossbar too.

MONTPELLIER PRESSING...

The final third saw the hosts’ number 10 in black socks fire wide, although he was almost certainly offside, the line now being run in turn by a couple of young children. Lively forward 9 also threatened a couple of times, once being denied by replacement Orange ‘keeper Ryan Sleaford and it was his free-kick, which the number 4 glanced wide with a close-range header at the right upright. At the other end, Oliver bagged his hat-trick goal, tidy midfielder Harry Reece netted off a post and then Hendrie scored with a cross-shot, although the visitors also missed a glut of chances during that final 30 minutes.

LEE HENDRIE: THAT'S NOT A GREAT YARMOUTH TAN...

Oliver drove at Bramwell, who also saw the ‘keeper claw out another attempt but when there was a tug by a home defender, the official pointed somewhat harshly to the penalty-spot, at which point the number 6 threw the ball at Hendrie, who wasn’t overly pleased and chucked it back. All very silly but so was the spot-kick, for Bramwell took two or three steps forward before Oliver struck it to his right and he made a fine, if slightly fortuitous save. Substitute Kelan Shepherd really did cause Coundon problems from his left-wing slot and really ought to have scored. He was denied by a low Bramwell save, saw a low angled effort deflect off a silver-haired opponent onto the base of the far post, curled a shot off target, drove another wide and went close twice in a few seconds, following creative play by Hendrie and Edwards. The Chef returned to the fray and slipped a low shot off a defender and wide of the left upright, then shot straight at the goalie in the final moments, when maybe he might have continued the passing movement.

THE ORANGE ASSESS...

COUNDON'S COURTLY BREAK...

Bramwell did well to beat out a Bishop drive from inside-left and it was fitting that Hendrie should capture the final strike, for it was his invention, supported by Edwards’ sensible play, Oliver’s thrusts from midfield, Wilcock’s threat on the right-flank and Reece’s general covering play, which held Montpellier in the ascendancy for so long. They moved the ball quickly, moved themselves about with eagerness, constantly being available for return passes and took set-pieces awarded to them quickly, forcing their opponents into hurried defence too often. Coundon simply could not settle and in truth, their scant midfield marking by the third period, allowed Hendrie and Oliver, Wilcock and Edwards far too much space in which to collect and distribute passes.

THE COUNDON GUY ON THE LEFT SAYS: "SHUT UP MAN, CUZ I CAN BEAT YOU AT CONKERS..."

This game was a pleasure to watch at times and Montpellier will surely be pleased with the outcome and much of their play, whilst Coundon never stopped competing, despite retreating for most of the game.  

SHEPHERD ON THE RUN, THE DEFENCE PENNED IN...

Best moment? Hendrie ushering Smith forward, not wanting his height interfering with the industrial creativity of the Montpellier midfield: “Just get away. Stay up there…” 

We liked that.

The goals:

0-1:

Hendrie’s quick pass to inside-right left Smith onside and he went wider right to round the advanced Bramwell and slip a gentle shot from an angle into the empty net.

THE CHEF: COME CHILDREN, PRAISE ME...

IS THAT SOME KIND OF DANCE MOVE, SIM?

0-2:

Coleing passed smartly along the right touchline for Wilcock, whose right-side clip was deflected on by two home defenders and there was Oliver at inside-left, 10 yards out, to chest the ball onto his left instep and volley a great shot just inside the right upright.

CHEST & VOLLEY: 0-2...

SEEMS WILCOCK, RIGHT, LIKED THE OLIVER VOLLEY...

0-3: 

Hendrie’s quick free-kick sent Smith running at inside-left, he took on and beat defender 6 to the outside and slipped the ball beneath Bramwell from an angle.

THE CHEF HAS COOKED UP A SWEET GOAL...

SIM MARKS HIS CARD...

0-4:

Wilcock and Edwards combined to feed Oliver in the centre, who pushed a short pass to Smith, the tall striker laid it off smartly back to Oliver and the chunky midfielder struck it with the outside of his right boot from 23 yards so that the ball swerved into the right side of the net, with Bramwell unmoved.

ASSISTANT & SCORER...

A GOOD GOAL...

OLIVER: IN FORM...

0-5:

Fine passing by Montpellier, started really by Edwards, led to Bishop passing to Hendrie, who fed Smith at inside-left; he turned and fired a low angled delivery across the face of goal for Edwards, who had run a marathon to get there, to score off the falling Bramwell’s body at the far stick.

HENDRIE CONGRATULATES EDWARDS...

GOAL FOR THE SKIP...

TREVOR EDWARDS AND THE HOME DEFENDERS LOOK SHOCKED THAT HE'S SCORED...

0-6:

Hendrie’s clever back-heeled return-pass to Wilcock on the left saw the winger slip a smart finish past Bramwell from an angle. 

HENDRIE'S BACK-HEEL, WILCOCK'S SHOT...

GOOD FINISH...

0-7:

Barnes fed a short pass at the edge of the 18 yard box for Oliver, who had begun the move and his low right footed effort entered the net off the base of the left post.

ASSISTANT & SCORER...

OLIVER'S HAT-TRICK GOAL...

0-8:

A good Hendrie run on the right led to a low shot and a block by the silver-haired Coundon defender but Reece benefited, beating Bramwell to his right with a low shot from 15 yards.

REECE HAS ADDED THE 8th GOAL...

0-9:

Edwards fed Hendrie on the right and his cross-shot beat the diving Bramwell.

Montpellier squad:

Craig Johnson, Torryn Coleing, Kyle Bishop, Trev Edwards (Capt), Ryan Amoo, Nic Oakley, James Wilcock, Harry Reece, Sim Smith, Lee Hendrie, Dom Oliver, Chris Charles, Justin Barnes, Mike Shale, Kelan Shepherd, Ryan Sleaford (gk).