Poujol gives Sochaux vital win
Last Updated: January 19, 2013 5:48pm
Loic Poujol (l) celebrates his vital goal
Loic Poujol's close range goal gave Sochaux a 1-0 win over relegation rivals Reims - who remain without a Ligue 1 away success this season.
Poujol settle the contest at the Stade Auguste Bonal in the 16th minute, converting an outswinging Rafael Dias corner at the far post after goalkeeper Johnny Placide had missed his chance to clear.
A second successive home success moves Eric Hely's team out of the bottom three at the expense of today's opponents, who have now gone 14 matches without a win.
Buoyed by victory over Marseille last time out, the hosts started brightly.
Cedric Bakambu created Sochaux's first chance in the 14th minute releasing Yassine Mikari for a low right foot shot which Placide blocked for a corner.
The decisive breakthrough came two minutes later when Placide failed to cut out Dias' corner and Poujol bundled into the empty net from barely two yards out.
The visitors' only first-half chance came in the 27th minute - but Sochaux goalkeeper Simon Pouplin was equal to a powerful free-kick from Grzegorz Krychowiak.
Johann Ramare's 50th-minute free-kick went narrowly over, while seven minutes later at the other end Dias struck another dead ball against the woodwork.
Placide blocked Bakambu's 65th-minute effort for a corner as Sochaux sought to make the points safe.
But the best chance of the final quarter came for the visitors with 23 minutes remaining when Ramare's corner from the right found Aissa Mandi - but the defender headed inches wide.
Matches
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French Ligue 1
Table
French Ligue 1
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris St Germain | 37 | 80 |
| 2 | Marseille | 37 | 70 |
| 3 | Lyon | 36 | 63 |
| 4 | St Etienne | 37 | 62 |
| 5 | Lille | 37 | 61 |
| 6 | Nice | 36 | 60 |
| 7 | Lorient | 37 | 53 |
| 8 | Bordeaux | 37 | 52 |
| 9 | Montpellier | 37 | 52 |
| 10 | Toulouse | 37 | 48 |
| 11 | Rennes | 37 | 46 |
| 12 | Bastia | 37 | 46 |
| 13 | Valenciennes | 37 | 45 |
| 14 | Reims | 37 | 42 |
| 15 | Evian Thonon Gaillar | 37 | 40 |
| 16 | AC Ajaccio | 37 | 40 |
| 17 | Sochaux | 37 | 40 |
| 18 | Troyes | 37 | 37 |
| 19 | Nancy | 37 | 35 |
| 20 | Brest | 37 | 29 |
