Ajaccio and Bastia ends goalless

Both sides had a man sent off as Ajaccio and Bastia shared a bad-tempered goalless draw in the Corsican derby in Ligue 1.

Both sides had a man sent off as Ajaccio and Bastia shared a bad-tempered goalless draw in the Corsican derby in Ligue 1. Bastia defender Gael Angoula and Ajaccio forward Johan Cavalli were given straight red cards eight minutes from time following a melee involving players from both teams. The ill-feeling spread to the stands with the fans getting fired up and setting off flares. It was in contrast to a slow start of the game with Cavalli having the first real opening after 26 minutes but his header from Benjamin Andre's cross did not trouble Macao Novas in the Bastia goal. All the action came at the end of the half. Ricardo Faty almost put the hosts ahead four minutes before the break when his long-range first-time effort was pushed to safety by Novas. A minute later and Cavil's shot took a slight deflection off Sylvain Marchal, beating the keeper but intercepted by Jeremy Chaplain on the line. Ajaccio then came within inches of taking the lead on the stroke of half-time, Adrian Mutu's strike hitting the base of the right post before going to safety. It took until almost 10 minutes after half-time for Bastia to threaten, Anthony Modeste's header shaving the bar with Guillermo Ochoa beaten in the Ajaccio goal. However, normal service resumed as they were forced to clear off the line again. Carl Medjani's effort at the back post across Novas found Whale Khazri on the line and the visiting midfielder cleared the ball. Then eight minutes from time a melee erupted with Angoula and Cavalli squaring up to each other with the pair both sent off. Bastia then had a great chance to steal the points deep into injury time, Ajaccio defender Fousseni Diawara heading Khazri's free-kick into the path of Fethi Harek but the defender volleyed wide.