Valenciennes secure vital point

Ligue 1 strugglers Valenciennes claimed a point against Lorient in the 1-1 draw at the Stade du Hainaut on Saturday.

Ligue 1 strugglers Valenciennes claimed a point against Lorient in the 1-1 draw at the Stade du Hainaut on Saturday night. Saliou Ciss' 39th-minute own goal had given Lorient the lead but Gregory Pujol netted the equaliser for the home side shortly after the break to claim a vital point. The result leaves Valenciennes third bottom of the overall standings on 18 points, three adrift of safety. Lorient, meanwhile, remained in 10th place with 31 points. Despite their lowly position, Valenciennes had the best of the early chances, with Rudy Mater shooting just inches wide after racing 25 yards up the field. Tongo Doumbia then tested Lorient goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet with a right-footed strike in the 23rd minute, but the ball was steered to safety. Lorient hit back through a good move which involved Jeremie Aliadiere, Vincent Aboubakar and Raphael Guerreiro, with the latter unleashing a powerful strike which was denied by goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau. However, Lorient did break through nine minutes later but it was thanks to Valenciennes defender Ciss, who headed Gregory Bourillon's corner into his own goal. The visitors went close three minutes after the break when Alain Traore freed Aliadiere in the middle of the field, who fired a shot and forced a reflex save from Penneteau. VA then hit back in the 52nd minute when Pujol headed in at the near post from Mathieu Dossevi's corner. Traore forced a save from the Lorient before Ciss tried to atone for his earlier error when he set Doumbia through, only for Reynet to make a block.