Bordeaux fire a blank

Vincent Aboubakar and Gregory Sertic battle for the ball

Bordeaux boss Francis Gillot's call for his side to take more of their chances fell on deaf ears as they were held to a goalless draw at Valenciennes.

Gillot had been happy with his team's unbeaten start but urged them be more ruthless in front of goal, only to watch them draw a blank.

By the finish, he might have been grateful just to get a point as Valenciennes enjoyed the better of the game and came closest to breaking the deadlock with a Rudy Mater effort that crashed back off the crossbar.

Bordeaux had the first real chance of the game, but Benoit Tremoulinas' low drive skimmed the outside of the right post.

At the other end, Mathieu Dossevi tried to lob Cedric Carrasso from the edge of the area but the goalkeeper managed to snatch the ball.

Carraso then kept out Dossevi's 30-yard free-kick while, at the other end, Ludovic Obraniak saw his snap-shot punched clear by

Nicolas Penneteau.

Mater then went as close as anyone would in the match with a first-time volley that rattled the frame of Carrasso's goal.

Dossevi then tested Carrasso's reflexes once more before the break with a free-kick on the left, but the goalkeeper made the block in time.

There were early chances for both teams in the second half, with Penneteau keeping out a strong effort from Obraniak before Mater fired narrowly wide for Valenciennes.

The match then went quiet, with few sights of goal until late on.

There were 10 minutes left when Cheick Diabate's effort was turned away for a Bordeaux corner, and then in injury time Valenciennes' Dossevi saw Carrasso claw his effort away under the crossbar.

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