HIGHGATE UNITED 2-3 MONTPELLIER FC: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

HENDRIE NIPS IN TO MAKE AMOO SMILE, AS ‘GATE SWING LOOSE AT THE FINISH

HIGHGATE UNITED 2-3 MONTPELLIER FC

Obviously results at this stage of the pre-season period are acceptable if winning ones, they are considered unimportant if losing ones and are usually unmentionable should they end in ties. The use of unknown quantities or trialists in these encounters, plus players returning to fitness, plus some new signings and maybe the use of new tactical formations by coaching staff will always affect scorelines and this match was no exception. ‘Gate, having already missed a number of chances due to a couple of defensive interceptions, a couple of saves by the two Montpellier ‘keepers but most annoyingly for Coach Pulisciano through wasteful off-target finishing, especially with headers from Gomez twice and Ricardo Richards once. He finally made a number of substitutions for the last 15 minutes or so with the game poised at 2-2. The dug-outers used failed to impress though and this offered the astute and competent Montpellier outfit an opportunity to capitalise and that they did, with a second goal for Stuart Hendrie, who slipped a low finish into the Highgate net. 

COACH AMOO ALSO BABYSITS...

0-1: HENDRIE...

HI-RES CELEBRATIONS...

...& WHAT A GOOD START...

Certainly George Curry’s inventiveness, Trevor Edwards’ interventions and sensible short passes, plus Dale Edwards’ occasional rapid bursts were features for United but Montpellier could point to the aerial threat of Paul Bonar in attack, alongside the foxy presence of Hendrie. The danger posed by the laudable James Wilcock from wide attacking positions also caused strain to the middle of the ‘Gate defence on a few occasions, where Marshall Williams was really having to work hard. The replacements for Marco Adaggio and Richards were unable to affect the game at all and only a few passes by robust midfielder ‘Cozza’ were worthy of mention in the latter stages.

HASSLE...

 And so it came to pass that although Hendrie’s early 19 yard free-kick for a foul on Wilcock was comfortably saved by Bunn, ‘Gate’s disastrous and immediate loss of possession allowed Bonar to free Hendrie for a simple shot into the bottom left corner of goal which iced Bunn, who stood stranded in a sticky position.

CURRY: CLEVER...

 Dale Edwards’ erratic start for United, involving offsides, frustration and yelled instructions from his coaching staff to get back in and support the right defenceman Scott Rickards, totally dissipated after he had thumped a 25 yarder against the Montpellier crossbar, had nearly fastened onto a pass by Adaggio, only to be scuppered by ‘Ruddy’s’ challenge and then passed smartly for Adaggio to drive into the side-netting. A brilliant challenge on Adaggio by Montpellier’s 12 also prevented a Curry delivery from been turned into the net. Although Aaron Brown’s replacement ‘Gomez’, all smiles beneath whipping, lashing dreadlocks, tested the diving Craig Johnson from 25yards with a low effort, the lively midfielder also fluffed two close-range headers, courtesy of Adaggio and Curry deliveries which would have been considered fine defensive clearances at the opposite end.

WILCOCK: LIVELY...

 Richards also glanced an Adaggio centre wide of the far stick, from the near stick, adding to the earlier miss he had suffered when he was unable to get his feet in the right order following Brown’s cross and Johnson had pounced upon the loose ball just three yards out. At the Highgate defensive end, Bonar proved that missing from close in could happen to anyone, even on a 3G surface with no bobbles or blemishes to be blamed, when he lifted a fine cross by Wilcock a good way over the target. Richards though eclipsed that when Curry’s hot flick set him up for a shot on goal but his 16 yard effort resembled a British Lions’ scrum-half’s punt as it rose dramatically over the conifers behind the goal.

ADAGGIO: NEAT LINK-UP PLAY AT TIMES...

CURRY: VALUABLE...

1-1...

GOMEZ CONGRATULATES THE SCORER...

...GEORGE...

CURRY...

 Montpellier had been cautious and tidy during the opening period, using Wilcock well out wide, although forward Kelan Shepherd wasn’t quite as well involved in truth. Highgate must have felt frustrated though because Curry’s and Trev Edwards’ endeavours in midfield had promised such good things. ’Gate had actually gained parity when Gomez’s deflected pass rose to free Curry at inside-right and his control was deft as he avoided the advancing Johnson and nonchalantly converted from the left edge of the 6 yard box past two despairing and converging defenders. 

TREV EDWARDS HAS DISPOSSESSED JAMES WILCOCK...

 The Montpellier lads worked more openings after the interval but two superb challenges on his own 18 yard line by Trevor ‘I don’t buy dummies’ Edwards on Wilcock, then Hendrie, stopped attacks, before Hendrie curled a shot for Bunn, currently still between the posts, to reach out for and save to his left. A 28 yarder, stuck first-time by Wilcock rose just too high whilst at the other end, replacement Montpellier ‘keeper Ryan Sleaford parried an angled Richards shot for Highgate, Adaggio then fired low to the goalie and also wide of the right upright before subsequently edging his team ahead with a strange goal. He lost his marker and headed Dale Edwards’ right-flank corner into the net from a few yards out without the need to jump, leaving the Montpellier defence looking like men auditioning for parts in ‘Frozen’.

2-1 NOW...

GOAL FOR ADAGGIO...

Incredibly the ‘Hi-Ressies’ in their blinding yellow kit equalised almost immediately from a right-side centre which resulted in Bonar showboating to score. He must have been watching snooker players attempting trick shots on TV or something for he chose to head the ball off the inside of the left upright so that it would ricochet off the covering goalie, a very hot cross Bunn and into the goal net. 

2-2 & BONAR CLAIMS IT WITH HIS LEFT HAND...

...& THEN HIS RIGHT HAND...

The imminent replacements, to give the numerous substitutes some time on the pitch, weakened ‘Gate and must have disappointed Coach Pulisciano because apart from a bad miss near the right stick by the young right-back wearing 15, from Gomez’s astute feed and a 25 yard free-kick by number 16 ‘Cozza’ which Sleaford dealt with, little was seen of replacement 11 as a centre-forward and although ‘Cozza’ sprayed passes about and Trev Edwards returned to the pitch to bolster the defence, the Hi-Ressies must have sensed their opportunity to capitalise. They did so after substitute home goalie Brad Hayward had held onto a low Isce Nelson shot but then a Montpellier replacement clipped a pass through inside-right for Hendrie to time his run onto perfectly and his finish into the bottom left corner of the net was unerring. 

TREV EDWARDS HAS MUGGED STU HENDRIE THIS TIME...

TREV LOOKS DISGRUNTLED...

 It was too late for ‘Gate to respond then and their players left the field looking down, in dribs and drabs. The Montpellier team had walked onto the pitch for their pre-match warm-up all together, in a line and after the game had finished, they warmed down as a group too, perhaps a legacy of Coach Amoo’s pro-days at Villa and Northampton…

OMG... 

...IT'S 2-3...

HENDRIE, 7, HAS WON IT FOR MONTPELLIER...

Montpellier could be a wild card in the MFL 2 next season with some stability in defence but Highgate’s inventive midfielders, the powerful Richards and the astute Adaggio could easily carry Coach Pulisciano’s Coppice-based team to being dark horses in the promotion race in what will surely be a tough and competitive MFL Premier Division competition, for on their day, United will undoubtedly be tricky opponents…