Mont-Saint-Aignan 2 US Quevilly 4 (AET FT 2-2)
La Coupe de Normandie – Quart de Finale
Jeudi 17 mai 2007

Ah serendipity, the natural gift for making useful discoveries quite per chance. Day one of the Normandy sojourn and having hove through the fog of the moody English Channel, leaving the down at heel industrial wastelands of Newhaven, into the quaint Norman fishing port of Dieppe, your humble scribe found himself in a town seemingly all but deserted. The continental penchant for various public holidays has bypassed the Anglo Saxon world but for France, this particular Thursday was Ascension Day and as such barely a soul was visible bar the town tramp who failed to extract what few cents rattled around the pockets left me in search of further prey. Reaching le Gare de Dieppe, the horror dawned that this particular day of rest meant public transport too was absent, a two hour wait for the next train towards the primary destination, the ancient city of Rouen. Several Woodbines later, and having been accosted by my new mendicant friend for a gasper, his search for victims as fruitless as mine for conveyance, a newsstand sprung into life as four o’clock chimed. Purchasing a local journal, the oddly named Paris Normandie, a quick perusal of the sports section revealed that Ascension Day was the date for the quarter finals of the regional cup competition, la Coupe de Normandie for the trophy, le Challenge Albert-Lebas. Glancing down the fixtures, disappointment followed joy as they revealed FC Rouen at home that afternoon only for the 3.00 kick-off time crush that hope of making the game. The other names meant little but then, having reached Rouen, a quick glance at a bus map and the name of Mont-Saint-Aignan leapt out as a Rouen suburb. The distance looked walkable on the map and having deposited my luggage at the Auberge, it was yomping time.
Maps are flat, Rouen is not. Mont-Saint-Aignan lies above the town; the walk is pleasant though those of a less rambling bent might consider the local bus, route No 4, which winds up from the station into the commercial district of Les Coquets. The ground of MSA, who compete in the Division D’Honneur of the Ligue de Normandie, lies at the back of an impressive sporting complex, at first seemingly a maze of pitches and sports, but handily signposted. Admission 4€, no complains at that. For the foodies, a roaring barbeque though the bar facilities would not impress the connoisseur. As for the ground, le Stade Rolande Goulley, basic though adequate is a fair description, an enclosed pitch but little cover bar the clubhouse which had been seemingly been annexed by the MSA junior section, armed with a giant flag in their club’s green and black and lungs of steel which belted out song after song in encouragement of their heroes.
With their guests from two divisions higher, US Quevilly compete in CFA and though they struggled there, the gulf should perhaps have been too great, but with a number of first teamers rested ahead of a vital relegation battle, MSA were keen to inflict an upset on their opponents for the southern, less salubrious suburbs of the city. So it was that less than ten minutes in the surprise was already on the cards. A clumsy challenge on the MSA centre forward as a harmless cross he might never had reached saw referee M. Rossignol award a spot kick, one serenely dispatched for the lead. Defending stoutly MSA refused to buckle under the weight of their foes and added a second goal after 27 minutes, a neat angled strike into the bottom corner of the net after the defence had been caught leaden footed. Le Quevillois hit back within two minutes of the restart, the speed and strength of the visitors’ centre-forward proving too much for the MSA rearguard, a powerful run capped by a precise finish as the ball was clipped past a powerless ‘keeper. Still it seemed as if determined MSA would hang to their lead but then hearts were broken as somehow the ball was scrambled home as the weight of Quevilly told at a corner five minutes from time. All out assault for the higher team resisted, the game went into extra time upon which one of the more quirky aspects of this competition came to light, rolling substitutions, both sides having used all three in regulation time.
The young voices, ever encouraging, refused to be stilled, even as smoke from a rather vigorous barbeque drifted across the terrain, lending the air of a contest at Stade Velodrome or Parc de Princes to the humble suburban surroundings.
Thoughts that USQ might roll over their lesser opponents were swiftly put to bed as the hosts rolled up their socks and went in search of a winner. Once again, though, their spirits would be crushed by a cruel late goal in the first period. Awarded an indirect free kick inside the penalty area after M. Rossignol had lost patience with the USQ custodian persistent time wasting, the ball was lashed into the impervious wall ahead of them and suddenly USQ were on the breakout. Lack of men in defence and the goal was left exposed for a simple tap in as the first 15 minutes of extra time elapsed. A fourth goal in the second period as twilight closed in meant the dream of bringing le Challenge Albert-Lebas back to Stade Rolande Goulley had died.
Les Coquets was closed as I strolled down the hill into town once more, but through skies were greying and the light was dimming before me was laid out Rouen in all her glory, dominated by Cathedral, Abbey et al. If you perchance upon this ground, assuage the craving to take the bus back. Instead indulge yourself and feast to the panorama that sweeps out before you.