Lens out of danger after stirring comeback

AFP - 4 November 2007 23:41

Lens´ French defender Yohan Demont (L) vies with Saint-Etienne midfielder Geoffrey Dernis during the French L1 football match Lens vs Saint-Etienne, at Felix Bollaert stadium in Lens. Lens won 3-2.

PARIS (AFP) - Struggling Lens hauled themselves out of the relegation zone with a stirring come from behind 3-2 win against Saint Etienne on Sunday.

The 1997/98 French champions went into this game languishing one off the bottom, and looked set to stay in that unenviable position when St Etienne shot into a two goal lead within the first 20 minutes.

David Gigliotti and Christophe Landrin struck for the visitors to present a formidable test of the team and new manager Jean-Pierre Papin's resolve.

And the visitors passed it with flying colours, Adama Coulibaly's 62nd minute goal starting the fightback with Yohan Demont grabbing the equaliser seconds later.

Then an acrobatic contribution from Aruna Dindane six minutes from time earned Lens a precious win, only their third of the campaign, to move them into fourth from bottom on goal difference.

Earlier Caen came good 3-2 in another five goal thriller against top five club Le Mans on Sunday.

These two games produced more goals than the entire entire seven match programme on Saturday.

Youan Goffran sent Caen into the lead just after the half hour mark with Marko Basa levelling in the opening seconds of the second half.

Juan Eduardo Eluchans put the home side back in front approaching the hour with Gouffran adding his second eight minutes later before Tulio De Melo grabbed a face saver for the visitors in the 73rd minute.

"That was a pleasant evening," said Caen coach Franck Dumas who will be hoping his team can build from this and score for the first time on the road at Valenciennes next weekend.

Sunday's other game was a drab goalless draw between Toulouse and bottom side Metz.

On Saturday Marseille's miserable league season failed to improve much when the relegation-threatened south coast 'giants' had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Lorient at the Stade Velodrome.

Eric Geret's men, who face Porto away in the Champions League on Tuesday, remain third from bottom with a mere 10 points garnered from a possible 36 with only Lens and Metz below them.

After a game bereft of excitement with Marseille proving largely incapable of troubling the Lorient defence, the home supporters were heard calling for the club's board to resign.

Gerets was not best pleased afterwards.

"The public have a right to be unhappy as the level of play in the second half wasn't worthy of Marseille.

"Taking the match as a whole you can have a harsh judgement. We made a few chances in the first half but we had a problem constructing moves from the back.

"In the second half we should have lost the match with the counter-attacks.

"We have to look ourselves in the mirror, fight and work."

Another side that has found the going tough this season, Paris St Germain, at last had something to celebrate when Paul Le Guen's underachievers came away from their visit to Strasbourg 2-1 winners.

An own goal by Strasbourg midfielder Rodrigo gave PSG an early lead with Sylvain Arnaud making it 2-0 in the 19th minute before Wason Renteria got one back for the home side in the second half.

The result lifted PSG up a place to seventh from bottom.

"We deserved to win," said Le Guen.

"Tonight we did things well, the spirit was good," added the former Lyon and Rangers boss.

Goals were a rare commodity but one of only eight from the seven-match programme came at the Marcel-Picot stadium where hosts Nancy beat Bordeaux 1-0. to keep the pressure up on leaders Lyon and marked Nancy's 40th anniversary celebrations in fitting style.

The result cemented their second place position on 24 points, four off Lyon, who maintained their charge to a seventh successive championship with a 2-0 victory at the Stade Gerland against mid-table Valenciennes.

At the Stade Gerland Brazilian playmaker Juninho put Lyon into a 40th minute lead with Sydney Govou doubling up three minutes from time for Lyon's 10th win of the season.

Elsewhere Rennes's title push was interrupted when they fell 1-0 at home to Monaco, leaving the home side seven points off Lyon in third; Lille won by the same score at Auxerre and Nice against Sochaux ended goalless.