St Etienne climb into third

Renaud Cohade: Opened the scoring

Hosts St Etienne upheld the form book with a regulation 2-0 win over Ligue 1 strugglers Troyes at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

The result was enough to take the home side to third in the table, while their defeated opponents are languishing in second-bottom place with just seven points.

Troyes managed to hold the stalemate during the first half but conceded two minutes into the second period through Renaud Cohade, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang eased late nerves with an 88th-minute finish.

The first St Etienne chance arrived almost immediately, Brandao sending a shot just wide from a one-on-one situation.

Troyes responded in the 13th minute when Mounir Obbadi fed Fabien Campus, whose low drive skimmed the outside of the post.

Brandao was again narrowly off target after 26 minutes but Romain Hamouma was unlucky to see his wonderful volley cannon back off the post nine minutes before the interval.

The goal did arrive just after the break, Cohade collecting Jonathan Brison's pass before going past Rincon and steering his shot past Yohann Thuram.

It was a fine run and finish, well worthy of ending the stalemate and putting the hosts in charge.

Cohade was buoyed by the goal and almost added a second in the 65th minute, being played in by Hamouma before unleashing a powerful strike that had Thuram flailing to beat it away.

In truth Troyes looked highly unlikely to draw level, but St Etienne did not rest on their advantage and Max Gradel handed Hamouma a decent chance to add to the lead with a teasing cross.

Instead, it was left to Gabonese forward Aubameyang to make it certain.

Faouzi Ghoulam was the provider on this occasion, with Aubameyang converting at the second ask after a brave block by Thuram.

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