Ligue 1 round-up

Wins for Lorient and Nice and Montpellier on Sunday

Last updated: 22nd November 2009  

Ligue 1 round-up

Vahirua: On target for Lorient

Click below for individual match facts

Nice 1 Toulouse 0
St Etienne 0 Lorient 2
Montpellier 2 Lille 0

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Goals from Marama Vahirua and Franco Sosa proved decisive as Lorient beat St Etienne 3-1, while Nice beat Toulouse.

Vahirua silenced the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard after four minutes and when Sosa doubled the lead 13 minutes later the Brittany side were on course for victory.

However, it could have been a very different story as Christian Gourcuff's men could have been behind in the very first minute of the contest, when they had goalkeeper Fabien Audard to thank.

Les Verts started brightly and things looked promising when Augusto Fernandez was freed on the right and ran towards goal - but his effort was crucially blocked by Audard.

Soon after the visitors were ahead when Vahirua's free-kick from the edge of the penalty area flew high into the net, giving home keeper Jeremie Janot no chance.

And it was 2-0 in the 17th minute, with Sosa outjumping Les Verts defender Cedric Varrault to head in Vahirua's corner.

The bad news continued for St Etienne in the 27th minute when captain Blaise Matuidi, who appeared to be injured following a challenge with Morgan Amalfitano, was replaced by Yohan Hautcoeur. Christophe Landrin took the captain's armband.

Meanwhile, Loic Remy netted a second-half penalty as Nice edged out Toulouse 1-0 to leapfrog their mid-table opponents in the Ligue 1 standings.

Remy slotted home in the 51st minute after Toulouse defender Cheikh M'Bengue was harshly adjudged to have handled in the area.

Toulouse almost grabbed an equaliser in the final minute but home keeper David Ospina pulled off a stunning save to deny France international Andre-Pierre Gignac.

Two Victor Hugo Montano goals in the second-half were enough to give Montpellier a 2-0 win over Lille at the Stade de la Mosson.

The win lifts the hosts up to fifth, within two points of surprise leaders Auxerre at the summit.

However, the defeat leaves Lille marooned in mid-table, 10 points off top spot and seven above the relegation places.

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