Lorient dent St Etienne hopes

St Etienne's European hopes suffered a blow as they lost 3-1 at Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday afternoon.

St Etienne's European hopes suffered a blow as they lost 3-1 at Lorient in Ligue 1 on Sunday afternoon. After dominating the first half, the hosts went ahead five minutes after the break through Kevin Monnet-Paquet. Fabien Robert doubled the lead in the 67th minute and, although Kurt Zouma pulled one back 11 minutes from the end, Yann Jouffre made the points safe in injury time to leave St Etienne needing favours from others on the final day of the season to qualify for the Europa League. It was a third straight league match without a win for the visitors, but they created the game's first chance, Brandao winning the ball in midfield and releasing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whose low drive was saved by Benjamin Lecomte. That was as good as it got for them in the first half, though, as Lorient took charge. St Etienne keeper Stephane Ruffier blocked a volley from Benjamin Corgnet and then got down well to keep out a first-time hit from Maxime Barthelme from the edge of the area. And Ruffier had to be alert again to deny Jouffre. A goal was coming and it finally arrived in the 50th minute. Corgnet released Lamine Gassama down the right and the Senegal international crossed to the far post where Monnet-Paquet headed home through Ruffier's legs. Monnet-Paquet headed inches over from another Gassama cross before Robert got the second, his first goal in three years. It came down the right again, Corget crossing and Robert beating Zouma to the ball to head in. Zouma made his presence felt at the other end to get St Etienne back in it in the 79th minute, rising high to power home Romain Hamouma's corner. But an equaliser never looked on the cards and instead Lorient wrapped up the points two minutes into added time when Jouffre curled home a fine free-kick.