Vendée Les Herbiers Football saw its Coupe de France journey end in early October after a 5th-round elimination away to National 1 side Châteaubriant. Laurent David’s squad exited the competition following a missed penalty that left the visitors unable to overturn a first-half deficit.
Early promise gives way to cup exit at Châteaubriant
The campaign began with a straightforward 4-1 victory over Regional 3 outfit Intrépide d’Angers. However, the subsequent draw paired Vendée Les Herbiers away against higher-tier opposition in Châteaubriant. Trailing in the match, the Herbretais earned a penalty kick to equalize but failed to convert, sealing their departure from the tournament.
RS Ardelay falls heavily against SCA Angers
In the same round of the competition, fellow local club RS Ardelay suffered a difficult afternoon against SCA Angers. Emmanuel Soulard’s side fell behind early and conceded a second goal just before halftime, despite hitting the crossbar twice. Pushing forward for an equalizer after the break, the visitors conceded multiple counter-attacks and finished on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline.
🏆 𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗤 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗨 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗨𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗗'𝗛𝗨𝗜 ! Groupe B :🔷 Aviron Bayonnais (1er) – Voltigeurs de Châteaubriant (13e) / 19 heures🔷 Stade Briochin (6e) – US Granville (9e) / 19 heures🔷 FC Chauray (15e) – Vendée Les Herbiers (15e) /… pic.twitter.com/94apGkZiO7
Shifting focus entirely to the domestic championship
While the early exits carry a bitter taste, the conclusion of cup commitments leaves the squad with a less congested fixture list. Previous deep runs, notably the memorable 2018 campaign that ended in a final defeat against Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade de France, regularly brought crowds of 4,000 to 5,000 spectators to Stade Massabielle early in the year. Those high-profile matches often coincided with winter dips in league form. Vendée Les Herbiers turns its attention immediately to league play, hosting Pontivy on Saturday, October 17, at 18:00 local time.
Worth a look