French Ligue 1 report: Caen defeat Lens 4-1

Caen kept up their recent fine form in Ligue 1 as a brace of goals from Emiliano Sala helped them to a 4-1 victory against Lens at the Stade Michel d'Ornano.

Julien Feret gave the hosts a seventh-minute lead, Sala doubled their advantage in the 35th minute before Herve Bazile capped off a fine first-half display with a third one minute later.

Alharbi El Jadeyaoui pulled a goal back for Lens on the stroke of half-time but Sala scored his second and Caen's fourth 15 minutes from time to secure a fifth league win in their last six games.

The game was suspended in the 85th minute for a quarter of an hour when pockets of Lens fans invaded the field, but the match eventually resumed and Caen secured a well-deserved victory.

Caen moved up a place to 14th in the standings thanks to yet another three-point haul, while defeat for second-from-bottom Lens was their second in a row and seventh game without victory.

Lens travelled to Caen still reeling after on-loan right-back Dimitri Cavare was ruled out for the season and they made a dreadful start to the encounter as Abdoul Ba tripped Sala in the area in the seventh minute and Feret made no mistake from the spot.

Caen, who held Paris St Germain to a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes last weekend, were 3-0 up 10 minutes before half-time when Sala and Bazile found the back of the net in quick succession.

Sala's goal was a thing of beauty as he beat Lens goalkeeper Valentin Belon from 25 yards after a mesmerising run from midfield, while Bazile's - a low finish between the keeper's legs - was a little less aesthetically pleasing.

Lens pulled a goal back seconds before referee Tony Chapron blew the half-time whistle when El Jadeyaoui scored from the penalty spot after Damien Da Silva was adjudged to have handled in the area, but that was as good as it got for Antoine Kombouare's beleaguered side.

Caen were rarely troubled in the second half and Sala put the finishing touches on another impressive display when he despatched his right-foot shot past Belon with a quarter of an hour remaining.

The match was interrupted in the 85th minute when some Lens fans invaded the pitch to voice their displeasure about another limp display from their side, but they only delayed the inevitable.