Montpellier resurgence goes on

French champions Montpellier continued their recent resurgence with a comeback 2-1 win at Brest.

French champions Montpellier continued their recent resurgence with a comeback 2-1 win at Brest. A defensive blunder allowed Brest a 13th-minute opener, when Daniel Congre cleared straight to Eden Ben Basat, although worse was to come at the other end soon after when Johan Martial inexplicably put through his own net. Montpellier's winner was at least deserving of settling the match as John Utaka finished a fine move on 56 minutes. After a terrible start Montpellier have now lost just once in eight league games, although their mini-revival still only sees them 11th in the table as the winter break approaches. Rene Girard's side went behind against the run of play with Alexis Thebaux forced to make a couple of early saves from Souleymane Camara and Younes Belhanda before seeing his side go ahead. Paul Baysse delivered a dangerous low cross that Congre only hacked as far as Ben Basat, who perfectly side-footed his first-time shot back past the defender and into the net. Brest's lead lasted just seven minutes as calamity also struck at the heart of their defence. Remy Cabella surged into the area and, while Baysse's sliding tackle dispossessed him, the ball fell for Camara. His instinctive volley was well kept out by Thebaux, but Martial, who was laid prone in front of him, then conspired to push the ball back past him after swinging his leg at the ball. Geoffrey Jourdren made a couple of good saves from long-range shots to keep it level into the break before Montpellier grabbed the lead for the first time soon after the resumption. The goal owed to an eye-catching move as Cabella launched a raid that culminated in Utaka forcing in a pin-point Belhanda cross from the right of the area. The visitors continued to dominate thereafter, with Bruno Grougi clearing a Camara header off the line, while Thebaux made another good low stop to deny Belhanda.