Payet ensures St-Etienne derby joy
Saturday, September 25, 2010
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In-form Dimitri Payet struck with 15 minutes left to give Ligue 1 leaders AS Saint-Etienne their first derby win in 17 years against Olympique Lyonnais, who remain second from bottom.
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AS Saint-Etienne's storming start to the Ligue 1 campaign shows no sign of slowing after a 1-0 win at Olympique Lyonnais kept them a point clear of fellow victors Stade Rennais FC.
St-Etienne were grateful for another Dimitri Payet goal at Stade de Gerland, where Lyon hit the woodwork three times. The 23-year-old settled the game in the 75th minute with a wonderful free-kick to take his league tally to seven in seven games this term.
"We wrote a piece of history here," said Payet after Les Verts ended a 21-game, 17-year run without a win in the derby du Rhône et de la Loire. Only point-less AC Arles-Avignon, beaten 3-1 at Montpellier Hérault SC today, are below Lyon in the table.
Lyon's loss and AJ Auxerre's 2-2 draw with AS Nancy-Lorraine left Olympique de Marseille as the only one of France's three UEFA Champions League contenders to win on Saturday - Taye Taiwo and Lucho González on target in a 2-1 defeat of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard.
The champions are fifth, five behind St-Etienne and four adrift of Rennes following their 2-1 win at OGC Nice, where Victor Montano capitalised on some indifferent defending to score the winner in the 77th minute.
