Tenacious Auxerre continue to climb
Saturday 7 November 2009
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Slender 1-0 winners at Le Mans UC 72, AJ Auxerre celebrated a sixth consecutive Ligue 1 victory to move into third ahead of AS Monaco FC and Montpellier Hérault SC, who both drew their games.
Penalty save
Unbeaten since August, Auxerre are the undisputed form side in France, and they continued their winning run with a tense success at the Stade Léon-Bollée. In-form Polish striker Ireneusz Jeleń provoked the only goal of the game with 51 minutes gone, unleashing a shot that goalkeeper parried into the path of defender João Paulo Andrade, who was unable to stop himself bundling the ball into his own net. The hosts connected with the woodwork four times and were awarded a penalty with four minutes remaining, but Olivier Sorin saved from Anthony Le Tallec to put Auxerre level on points with Olympique Lyonnais, who host Olympique de Marseille on Sunday, and two points behind leaders FC Girondins de Bordeaux, who travel to LOSC Lille Métropole on the same day.
Chances missed
Monaco and Montpellier both spurned the chance to advance their own agendas as they experienced frustrated evenings. Fourth-placed Monaco could find no way through bottom side Grenoble Foot 38 at the Stade Louis II and Montpellier, sixth, were held 1-1 at Valenciennes FC, despite taking a third-minute lead through Víctor Montaño. That made it possible for FC Lorient to hoist themselves into fifth with a heavy 5-0 triumph over struggling US Boulogne, Marama Vahirua scoring twice. In the day's other matches, Paris Saint-Germain FC lost 1-0 at home to OGC Nice following Loïc Rémy's late winner, AS Saint-Etienne triumphed 1-0 at AS Nancy-Lorraine and RC Lens prevailed 2-1 at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard.
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