Match report from the 1-1 draw between St Etienne and Bordeaux

Bordeaux saw an injury-time penalty appeal from waved away as they drew 1-1 with fellow Ligue 1 high-fliers St Etienne.

Victory for either side would have taken them level on points with leaders Marseille but they had to settle for a share of second place after first-half goals from Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Tiago Ilori cancelled each other out.

Hosts St Etienne had been the better side but were almost sucker punched at the death - Nicolas Maurice-Belay going one on one with Stephane Ruffier only to be denied a spot-kick having gone to ground too easily.

St Etienne attacked from the off as Francois Clerc, Kevin Monnet-Paquet and Moustapha Sall all had decent chances in the opening 20 minutes.

Monnet-Pacquet's effort was inadvertently blocked by Van Wolfswinkel at the near post and he spurned his own opportunity when he fluffed his connection with Allan Saint-Maximin's drilled cross.

Bordeaux went even closer from a rare counter-attack when Wahbi Khazri opportunistically flicked Andre Biyogo Poko's chipped pass goalwards with his thigh only for Ruffier to save with fingertips.

Les Verts went ahead in the 31st minute, Franck Tabanou crossing for Van Wolfswinkel, who hooked a neat volley past a sleeping Cedric Carrasso for his first goal in 13 months.

Max Gradel almost made it 2-0 when he rattled the upright but it was all square after 39 minutes, Ilori bundling in off his shoulder after Diego Contento's shot bounced over a packed penalty box.

St Etienne pressed hardest for the winner, Van Wolfswinkel heading over from six yards, while Tabanou and Gradel both drew unconvincing saves from the jittery Carrasso.

But Les Girondins should have stolen the points when they broke at speed with a three-on-two overlap in added time.

Maurice-Belay took a heavy touch when he looked certain to score and ended up looking for the penalty against Ruffier, a request that left the official unmoved.