Rodez's U18 team ended their season with a penalty shootout loss to Béziers, missing out on promotion to U19 National. After 18 wins in as many matches, it took a terrible penalty shootout for the Sang and Gold to stop just short of a great achievement. Being defeated by Béziers on the final whistle, the young group from the Piton missed out on promotion to U19 National, a year after leaving the elite of their age group. It was clear from the faces on the pitch at the Parc des sports de Millau that the disappointment was palpable. "There's a sense of disappointment about the scenario. It's frustrating because there's no promotion and the players would have deserved it. But I'm proud of what they've done over the past one, two, three years. Our training process works. It's just the beginning for them", said coach Younnes Rahibe. A large part of the Aveyronnais distress last night was justified before the fateful session. And for good reason, until the fifth minute of added time at the end of the match, the Raf was leading 2-1 and had its Grail in sight. But that was without counting on an unlikely twist, with a penalty awarded by the referee to the Biterrois for a hand in the surface… A nightmare. All the more so since this decision was not to the taste of Rodez, since two balls were on the pitch at the time of the whistle. Enough to prompt the coach to lodge a complaint. "I don't expect anything, it's a fact of the game", he assured after the match. Whatever the case, after long minutes of hesitation, Mohamed Harrou showed a cool head to put the two teams back to 2-2. Before, therefore, the Ruthénois were frustrated by an imperial goalkeeper Mathéo Fedi in the penalty shootout, with two decisive saves. Frustrating for the partners of Maexan Teyssèdre, who thought he had offered the ticket to the upper floor to his club at the 71st minute. Knowing that Enzo Couderc had, on the other hand, well launched the match from the 7th, to put his team ahead. A lead that had, however, been short-lived, since Naël Ouaattar had put Béziers back on the right track just before the break (38th). And as if that was not enough in this bitter evening for Rodez, the post-match was very hot at Millau. The provocations, or even insults, from the Biterrois camp, particularly against coach Younnes Rahibe, were fired and it took a long time for the different actors to reach the dressing rooms. "Everyone was in the euphoria of the match, but there's respect to be had on young matches, there's no economic stake, nor transfer at the end… But bravo to Béziers, who made an exceptional season like us. We'll come back stronger !"