An incredible final against Thuir and the handball players from Montpellier start to dream

La joie de la joueuse Nourizada Hassalany et de sa coache, Elvine Granier. Laura Rieusset

De l’avis de spécialistes et ils sont nombreux à Spinosi, fidèles du HBF3M, le final samedi soir entre le Handball Féminin Montpellier Métropole Méditerranée et Thuir, 20e journée de Nationale 1 féminine, fut "incredible". Incredible suspense and emotion.

It's a victory, 32-31, which made the HBF3M supporters go through all the emotions this Saturday March 23 at Spinosi. Due to its intensity and an improbable scenario where Thuir had three possessions, then ahead of the score, 29-31, one minute and a half from the gong, without managing to convert them. Better. To keep them. "We made a tactical choice in the money-time which worked out for us with a strict double".

It was played in the heads

Elvine Granier changes goalkeeper, right winger "to have counterattacks and we recovered the last three balls with three counterattacks’in a row&quot ;. Three goals from Cyrielle Martin (58’43, 59’37, 60’) "which was incredible" and made his team win at the buzzer. "I think at that point we got into their heads ; Thuir is a team which, in my opinion, is the most complete in this championship and we knew it was going to be tough. She also had difficulty finishing her matches and from the last five minutes, nothing was happening in defense. It was in the heads" adds the Hérault coach. "We didn't have the best match of the year, despite everything, we didn't give up, we have a team that has character. would like to win matches more easily but that's what's beautiful too!"

Montpellier is three points behind the leader minus two matches

Spinosi can explode, and capsize a few moments later, when he learns that La Motte-Servolex, 2nd in the group, has gone to win in Aix, with the leader. The two teams now have 45 points and the HBF is only three points behind with two matches in hand on La Motte and one on Aix. "We say that the planets are aligning. You can dream of winning until the end; Afterwards, I prefer that we watch match after match, we still have big pitfalls including this weekend. And even if we hadn't gone for that, I wouldn't give up, neither would the girls and we're having a blast in this dynamic. We will go and look for what we have to look for until the end.

"We're going to keep dreaming"

The HBF3M held on before finding itself 2nd in January, just behind Aix which is aiming to move up. "We say to ourselves that if we can annoy Aix to the end, that would be good, and today, we see the end of the tunnel with potentially a dream at stake so it’s certain that we will continue to dream, without putting pressure on ourselves. This is not a subject that we discuss. We play to play, to have fun, for this kind of feeling. We coach for that adds Elvine Granier. To experience this kind of emotion. I am a coach who needs to live with the girls on the pitch, I talk a lot, I shout, I help them, I try to carry them and they return it to me at the end when ;they jump into my arms! And that's what's great, it's full of emotion.

Saturday March 30, 8:30 p.m., Montpellier will go to 10th, Bron when Aix will be exempt and La Motte-Servolex will receive Plan de Cuques.