Lacklustre Lille let it slip

By Chris Burke

LOSC Lille Métropole failed to reclaim second place in Ligue 1 from Olympique de Marseille as they were held to a 1-1 draw away against FC Metz on Sunday.

Perfect start
After three straight draws in the league, Claude Puel's Lille got off to the perfect start when Milenko Acimovic fired in a shot from 30 metres with just seven minutes gone. The visitors then had goalkeeper Tony Sylva to thank for a series of spectacular saves, but it was the Senegalese international who brought down Bartholomew Ogbeche on 49 minutes for Ludovic Obraniak to score Metz's equaliser from the spot.

Red cards
Tempers frayed towards the end and Lille had Yohan Cabaye dismissed, before Franck Signorino saw red for the home team as the match petered out. Having failed to win since they overcame leaders Olympique Lyonnais, Lille now find themselves a point behind Marseille in third place, their lowest position since September.

Istres joy
UEFA Cup contenders AJ Auxerre missed their own chance to move ahead of AC Monaco FC into fourth as they became only the third team to lose against FC Istres this season. Winter-signing Ibrahima Bakayoko's penalty kick for the Provençal club on 26 minutes was just the fourth goal they have recorded at home, but it still leaves them propping up the table. They moved within four points of safety, though, while Auxerre remain in fifth.

Feindouno penalty
A penalty also settled the match between AS Saint-Etienne and seventh-placed FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, and substitute Pascal Feindouno scored it in the 59th minute with his first kick after coming on. Les Verts have now gone 13 games unbeaten, but this was their first league victory in 2005 and it lifts them up into the top half of the table.