Valenciennes Football - Valenciennes News, Scores, Stats, Rumors & More

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Sources: LA Galaxy to sign French youngster

1Y
Julien Laurens

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes eye Diedhiou & Cabral

5Y
Ed Dove, KweséESPN

Senegalese starlet Diouf joins Leganes

5Y
Ed Dove, KweséESPN

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes boss gets ban for sexist ref rant

6Y
Mark Rodden

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes boss sorry over sexist ref rant

7Y
Mark Rodden

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Toulouse 3-1 Valenciennes

Toulouse ended the Ligue 1 season in the top half of the table after beating relegated Valenciennes 3-1 thanks to a Wissam Ben Yedder hat-trick.Despite securing their continued presence in the top flight some weeks ago, Le Tefece were sliding towards a lowly finish having failed to win any of their last eight games.But Ben Yedder scored all three goals to register his second hat-trick of the campaign while Ligue 2 bound Valenciennes signed off with a goal from Anthony Le Tallec.It took Toulouse 30 minutes to open the scoring through Ben Yedder.Martin Braithwaite did most of the leg work, dribbling around Lindsay Rose before picking out his unmarked team-mate for an easy finish from six yards.Toulouse won a penalty just before half-time as Rose fouled Braithwaite. VA goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau dived the the right but Ben Yedder had beaten him with a spot-kick fired right down the middle.Valenciennes almost notched in the 51st minute, Marco Da Silva clattering the crossbar with a shot from 20 yards.The northerners would halve the deficit three minutes from time to give travelling fans some reason to be cheerful.Le Tallec had Arthur Masuaku to thank for providing the killer cross that allowed him to head home through a throng of Toulouse defenders.If VA were plotting a late comeback, their plans were foiled by Ben Yedder, who claimed the match ball on the stroke of full-time when controlling Dusan Veskovac's cross and slamming the ball into the net.With 16 goals for the season, Ben Yedder finished behind only Paris St Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the Ligue 1 scoring charts, although he must share second place with Marseille's Andre-Pierre Gignac.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 1-2 AS Monaco

Nabil Dirar's late strike saw Monaco scrape a 2-1 victory at relegated Valenciennes in an effectively dead rubber Ligue 1 contest.Valere Germain put the visitors in front five minutes before the break but Claudio Ranieri's men looked set for a second successive 1-1 draw with lowly opposition - following their home clash with Guingamp on Wednesday - when Tongo Doumbia levelled with 20 minutes to go.Dirar then came to their rescue, firing past Nicolas Penneteau in fine style in the 87th minute.With the 19th-placed hosts already down and their opponents guaranteed to finish as runners-up behind champions Paris St Germain, there was little play to for.But Valenciennes made a positive start, with Majeed Waris calling goalkeeper Sergio Romero into action with a shot in the opening few seconds.Monaco hit back in the 10th minute as Germain rattled a powerful strike against the crossbar.There was another chance for Monaco seven minutes later, with Yannick Ferreira Carrasco through on goal but denied by a fabulous save from the outrushing Penneteau.The game then became the more subdued affair that might have been expected, until the 40th minute, when Ferreira-Carrasco provided the tee up with a great corner delivery from which Germain converted past the helpless Penneteau.Germain tried his luck again soon after the break with Valenciennes having given away possession, but his shot was well blocked by Carl Medjani.The equaliser arrived when Arthur Masuaku plays a perfect low cross into the Monaco box and Doumbia applied a cool, left-footed finish.And Valenciennes might have turned the game on its head within eight minutes as Waris played a back heel into the path of Gregory Pujol and the Monaco defence managed to put in a goal-saving block to keep the shot out from six yards.The away side then came close to reclaiming the lead as Penneteau denied Germain.But Monaco did go ahead soon after, Dirar cracking in a sublime effort that gave the goalkeeper no chance.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 0-1 Bordeaux

Julien Faubert confirmed Valenciennes' relegation from Ligue 1 after his late goal secured a 1-0 win for Bordeaux at the Stade du Hainaut.Going into the game the hosts - present in the top flight since 2006 - knew they needed a miracle to pull themselves out of trouble given their inferior goal difference, but Sunday's result secured their fate.To make matters worse for Valenciennes they missed a golden chance to score early on as Maor Melikson's penalty was saved by Bordeaux keeper Cedric Carrasso. The hosts came flying out of the blocks with David Ducourtioux firing a speculative 25-yard strike that Carrasso was forced to punch clear.Building on that momentum, Valenciennes were awarded a spot kick in the eighth minute when Ludovic Sane was fouled by Majeed Waris inside the box.Carrasso then got down well to deny Melikson and both sides had a series of chances before half-time - Diego Rolan looked particularly dangerous when volleying hard against a post, while Waris forced a smart stop from Carrasso with a point-blank header - but the game remained goalless at the break.Melikson tried to atone for his penalty miss shortly after the interval by curling a right-footed effort on goal from the left-hand side of the box but Carrasso denied him again.Bordeaux came close to scoring the opener in the 55th minute as Cheick Diabate ran onto Faubert's pass to dribble past Macedo Novaes and shoot at the empty goalmouth.However, Mater got back just in time to clear the ball off the line and keep VA alive in the contest for a little while longer.Yet Faubert would break Valenciennes' hearts 16 minutes from time, the former West Ham full-back latching on to a great through ball from Gregory Sertic to fire past Novaes.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Guingamp 1-0 Valenciennes

Valenciennes' eight-season stay in Ligue 1 is all but over following a 1-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Guingamp. Claudio Beauvue scored the game's only goal on the hour to move Guingamp to the brink of survival and Valenciennes almost certain relegation.VA are nine points adrift of safety with three games left and have an inferior goal difference to those above.Guingamp can now turn their focus to next weekend's Coupe de France final against Rennes.Steeven Langil volleyed an early chance wide for the hosts before Valenciennes tried in vain for the opening goal they desperately needed after taking just one point from their previous five games.Abdul Waris fired a David Ducourtioux cross narrowly over before the pair swapped roles - only for Ducourtioux to also miss the target.When Waris did find his range Mamadou Samassa pulled off an excellent reflex save.Macedo Novaes made an even better stop at the other end just before half-time when Jeremy Sorbon looked certain to turn in a Langil corner from close range.Novaes was at it again after the break, this time with a memorable reflex stop on the line to deny a Christophe Mandanne header.VA were relying too heavily on the heroics of their goalkeeper, however, and a minute later they were behind.Substitute Thibault Giresse's corner from the left was met by Beauvue at the near post and this time Novaes was beaten.It proved the decisive moment as VA failed to muster a reply.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 2-6 Nantes

Nantes routed Valenciennes 6-2 to push their hosts further towards the Ligue 1 trapdoor on Sunday. Stuck in the bottom three and on an alarming run of form, Valenciennes were desperate for a result but their hopes were effectively over by half-time as goals from Johan Audel, Alejandro Bedoya and Serge Gapke put Nantes firmly in control. Gapke's second made it 4-0 early in the second half, and although Carl Medjani and Jean-Christophe Baheback pulled goals back late on, there was still time for a Medjani own goal a Banel Nicolita free-kick to complete the rout. The first chance of the match had fallen to Valenciennes when Remy Riou was forced into a good save by Baheback's fifth-minute free-kick, and the Nantes goalkeeper was in action again in the 20th minute when Maor Melikson broke into the area before shooting low.But Nantes struck with the first clear chance in the 23rd minute when Olivier Veigneau crossed from the left for Audel to fire home an unstoppable volley.Nantes built on that before half-time with two quick goals, the first coming in the 40th minute when Lucas Deaux and Jordan Veretout combined to tee up Bedoya as the defence stood still.They were 3-0 up two minutes later when Gakpe raced from his own half before curling the ball beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. Gakpe doubled his haul in the 54th minute with a curling free-kick into the top corner, but Valenciennes showed signs of improvement in the second half - even if it was too late a 4-0 down.Riou had to keep out Baheback's powerful shot before making a fine save to keep out Mathieu Dossevi's strike after a great ball from Melikson fooled the defence. Gregory Pujol's header then struck the post in the 62nd minute and the hosts finally got their reward when Medjani headed in Melikson's corner 11 minutes from time.They ignited faint hopes of a comeback with a second three minutes later, Baheback volleying home Melikson's free-kick, but Nantes had the final say.The unfortunate Medjani headed into his own net with five minutes left before Nicolita's free-kick found the top corner. ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Lille 1-0 Valenciennes

Lille kept a firm grip on third place in Ligue 1 and left Valenciennes in a parlous state after Divock Origi's second-half strike earned a 1-0 home win.The home side had been on top, but not without seeing their goal threatened on occasion, before Origi scored the game's only goal in the 69th minute.He slotted past Magno Novaes to leave Valenciennes mired in the relegation zone, still six points from safety on Saturday night and praying that gap would not widen over the course of the weekend.Lille began positively, with Marko Basa releasing Djibril Sidibe, who forced Novaes into an early stop.Marvin Martin then found Salomon Kalou on the right of the penalty area and the former Chelsea forward's instant right-footed shot beat Novaes but hit the post.Valenciennes threatened for the first time in the 36th minute when Tongo Doumbia was allowed to run and keep running from inside his own half, before unloading a 22-yard strike that Vincent Enyeama kept out.Sidibe created Lille's next opening when his cross from the left was met by Nolan Roux with a low right-footed drive that Novaes blocked.Novaes was again to the rescue for Valenciennes early in the second half when he kept out a firm effort from Sibide that was heading for the top of the net.Five minutes before the breakthrough arrived, Valenciennes had a decent chance of their own when Mathieu Dossevi laid the ball off to Jean-Christophe Bahebeck on the left of the penalty area, and his right-footed snap shot was kept out by a firm hand from Enyeama.Lille broke at pace for the goal, with Kalou leading a counter-attack and playing in Origi on the right with a perfect pass. Origi put a classy finish to a high-quality move with his slotted finish.The visitors were not finished, and they remained purposeful, creating one final glorious chance with time running out when Loris Nery's cross found Mathieu Dossevi. His right-footed volley was heading for the back of the net but Enyeama pulled off the best save of the game, one that ensured the three points would remain in Lille.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Ligue 1: Rodriguez inspires Monaco

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 1-2 Lyon

Bafetimbi Gomis scored his 100th Ligue 1 goal to help Lyon to a hard-fought 2-1 win over 10-man Valenciennes, who remain six points adrift of safety.The French international gave the hosts the lead before Waris Majeed offered hope for Ariel Jacobs' side with a leveller shortly after the hour mark.That advantage, though, lasted just a matter of minutes as Jordan Ferri scored his second of the season in some style.The hosts had Marco da Silva sent off in the 84th minute, but almost snatched a point only for goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to save a late Majeed penalty.Both sides had early efforts at goal without testing the keepers as Gregory Pujol's optimistic effort flew harmlessly wide, while Ferri had Macedo Novaes scrambling across his goal before his shot ended up just wide of the left post.Valenciennes had a half-hearted penalty appeal turned down when Milan Bisevac appeared to handle from a cross before the visitors opened the scoring with half hour played thanks to some lapse defending.Henri Bedimo broke free down the left before Saliou Ciss made a hash of his delivery, allowing Gomis to take a touch beyond him and confidently send the ball beyond Novaes for his 12th goal of the season.The hosts looked to hit back, but Doumbia's weak effort from the edge of the area was all they could muster before the break as Majeed struggled to get into the game.Both sides remained unchanged at the break as Lyon held Valenciennes at bay, limiting Jacobs' side to a rare shot from distance and nothing more.However, with little over an hour played, the hosts managed to infiltrate Les Gones' defence to great effect. Majeed charged into the area before cutting inside Milan Bisevac and smashing an equaliser beyond Lopes at his near post.Any hopes of a first win in three for Valenciennes were soon dashed, though, as Garde's men hit straight back in stunning fashion.Picked out by Arnold Mvuemba, Ferri was allowed time 25 yards out and the midfielder's curling effort flew beyond Novaes before nestling in the top corner.Valenciennes suffered another blow when Da Silva cynically hauled down Alexandre Lacazette and was sent off, but they were gifted a chance of an equaliser when Ferri handled inside the area.However, Lyon keeper Lopes came to his team's aid and got down well to keep out Majeed's tame spot-kick. ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Montpellier 0-0 Valenciennes

Valenciennes goalkeeper Macedo Novaes was in unbeatable form to help his side claim a point from their trip to fellow relegation battlers Montpellier.The 30-year-old Brazilian produced four top-class saves and the only time he was beaten the ball struck the post as 2012 Ligue 1 champions Montpellier were frustrated in front of their fans at the Stade De La Mosson.The visitors were not without chances of their own, and they too hit the woodwork while coming close on several other occasions.Neither side could make the breakthrough, though, and Montpellier remain six points clear of third-bottom Valenciennes.Looking for their first win in five matches, Montpellier bossed the opening half-hour in terms of chances and they were only denied the lead by two brilliant saves from Novaes and a near-miss from Benjamin Stambouli .The former Bastia custodian's first stop came in the 13th minute when he dived full stretch to slap away M'Baye Niang's effort, and then seven minutes later he produced a miraculous stop to keep out Mathieu Deplagne's shot from the edge of the box.The home side did manage to beat Novaes in the 29th minute, but there was still no goal to celebrate as Stambouli's left-footed volley from Remy Cabella's corner smashed against the post.VA had barely threatened up to that point, but they came within inches of taking the lead with their first decent chance in the 32nd minute, the unmarked Gregory Pujol seeing his powerful header from Arthur Masuaku's cross crashing against the crossbar.Neither side would come any closer to a breakthrough in the second half, although again that was largely down to Novaes.He did well to block Cabella's low volley at the far post eight minutes into the second half and then, with two minutes left on the clock, he ensured his side would leave with a point when he denied Cabella once again.In between those two saves, Valenciennes created two openings of their own but David Ducourtioux and Tongo Doumbia both saw their efforts fizz inches wide as the spoils were shared.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 2-1 Stade Rennes

Valenciennes boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 win over fellow Ligue 1 strugglers Rennes.After a goalless first half, Ola Toivonen gave Rennes the lead only for Mathieu Dossevi and Abdul Majeed Waris to turn the game around, the latter following up after his penalty was saved.The win leaves Valenciennes on 25 points and still in the third relegation place, five points behind Evian and six adrift of their opponents - who had Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik sent off for conceding the penalty for the winning goal.Valenciennes' two goalscorers almost combined for an opener in the 11th minute, Dossevi taking a cleverly disguised pass from Waris but seeing his goalbound volley cleared off the line by Cheikh M'Bengue.Rennes replied with a Kamil Grosicki drive and a Romain Alessandrini free-kick, both parried away by goalkeeper Magno Novaes.Gregory Pujol headed Rudy Mater's free-kick just wide for Valenciennes as a tepid first half petered out in stalemate - but the second was a different story.Toivonen broke the deadlock just four minutes after the interval, following in to score after Novaes parried Romain Danze's 20-yard drive into the Swede's path.Dossevi replied just five minutes later, turning in Waris' cross from close range.And the decisive moment came in the 76th minute when Kana-Biyik brought down Tongo Doumbia and was given his marching orders. Waris saw his spot-kick blocked by keeper Benoit Costil but followed up to ram the ball home.Marco Da Silva almost made it three late on, his free-kick curling inches over the crossbar, but 2-1 was more than enough for the home side.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Stade de Reims 3-1 Valenciennes

Reims continued their push for a top-four finish and European football by beating relegation-threatened Valenciennes 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Saturday.Goals from Nicolas de Preville, Prince Oniangue and Gaetan Charbonnier earned the home side their third win in four games as they closed the gap on fourth-placed Lille to four points.Mathieu Dossevi's reply came too late for Valenciennes, who are third from bottom in the standings and five points from safety.Reims have been something of a revelation so far this season and their confidence was on show after four minutes when Grzegorz Krychowiak's snap-shot drew a smart save from visiting goalkeeper Macedo Novaes.They were in front after 20 minutes, though, thanks to De Preville, who was fed a pass in the area by Antoine Conte before planting a right-footed shot past Novaes.De Preville threatened again minutes later but this time his effort was high of the mark, and Valenciennes responded soon after with a powerful volley from Tongo Doumbia which was dealt with at full stretch by home keeper Johnny Placide.But Reims were able to extend their lead eight minutes before the interval when Oniangue tucked away on the rebound after Conte's initial strike was palmed away by Novaes.Valenciennes showed greater purpose in the second half and Placide twice came to the rescue against Abdul Waris, who tried his luck with a header and a drive from distance. Novaes was also called into action after 73 minutes by a strike from Odair Fortes, but the VA defence was breached again three minutes later by Charbonnier, who made the most of a precise pass from Fortes before firing low into the net.Dossevi denied the home side a clean sheet with his goal three minutes from time, which was helped on its way by a fumble from Placide, but the damage had already been done.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 2-2 Sochaux

Sochaux scored an 88th-minute equaliser as they twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at relegation rivals Valenciennes on Saturday.Florian Marange's late header came just two minutes after Majeed Waris' second goal and denied the hosts a win which would have taken them out of the bottom three.Waris opened the scoring with a penalty in the 51st minute, with Sebastien Corchia getting the visitors' first leveller three minutes later.The point left third-bottom VA two points from safety, with Sochaux one place and three points further back.The hosts dominated the first half, Gregory Pujol bringing a block out of visiting goalkeeper Yohann Pele with a low volley and then shooting just wide from outside the area.Arthur Masuaku then set up Mathieu Dossevi at the near post, but his effort also went wide.Dossevi had another sight of goal two minutes before the break, but this time his low shot was pushed away by Pele.Sochaux did not threaten until four minutes into the second half when Julien Faussurier's right-footed shot was blocked by Nicolas Penneteau.But VA got a break two minutes later when Waris won a fortunate penalty, with Lionel Zouma's challenge on him deemed a foul, and then stepped up to send Pele the wrong way.Sochaux levelled four minutes later with a stunning goal, Corchia launching a free-kick from 30 yards straight into the top corner.VA almost went back in front just after the hour mark, Pele producing a superb reflex save to deny Waris, but the striker got the better of the keeper four minutes from time.Maor Melikson took a pass from Rudy Mater, who laid the ball in from the left for Waris to convert from close range.But Sochaux would not lie down and levelled again two minutes later as Penneteau misjudged Sebastian Roudet's corner and Marange headed powerfully into the empty goal. ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Zlatan on target again

#INSERT type:image caption:PSG celebrate after Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored. END# Paris St Germain continued their march towards the Ligue 1 title with a 3-0 victory at home to Valenciennes on Friday night. Goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and an own goal from Gary Kagelmacher earned the capital club a comfortable victory. The success moved PSG eight points clear of second-placed Monaco ahead of the weekend's matches, while Valenciennes remain in the thick of a relegation battle. The hosts started strongly, Yohan Cabaye's free-kick picking out Ibrahimovic, who flicked the ball on to Lavezzi, but the Argentinian's backheel was blocked by goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau. Lavezzi found the net after only 18 minutes, though, helping the ball home from close range after Ibrahimovic's free-kick fell kindly for him. PSG's front two were causing the visitors all sorts of problems and Ibrahimovic set up another chance for his team-mate, whose shot from inside the area was saved by Penneteau. The Valenciennes keeper was keeping his side in the game and he did well to keep out a low Ibrahimovic drive. But the Swede doubled his team's lead six minutes into the second half, volleying home right-footed from point-blank range following a cross from Cabaye. And the hosts had victory secure two minutes later as the unfortunate Kagelmacher turned a cross from the impressive Lavezzi into his own net. VA at least showed some fight, Tongo Doumbia bringing a smart stop out of Salvatore Sirigu just after the hour mark, but PSG were already home and dry. ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 2-1 Nice

Waris Majeed struck a winner two minutes from time as Valenciennes earned a morale-boosting win over Nice to keep their survival hopes alive in Ligue 1.Tongo Doumbia had put Valenciennes ahead after 26 minutes but it seemed they would have to settle for a point after Neal Maupay levelled in the 75th minute.However, Majeed's late goal gave the hosts only their fourth win of the season, putting them within four points of safety. Prior to kick-off the form book clearly pointed to a Nice win, with the visitors - 4-0 winners in the reverse fixture - in good form having won four of their last six while Valenciennes were coming off the back of two consecutive losses.But it quickly became apparent that Valenciennes posed significant dangers as David Ospina was forced into early saves from Maor Melikson's clever chip before turning away a low drive from Gregory Pujol.The hosts led midway through the first half when Majeed led a swift counter-attack, picking out Doumbia to head the ball beyond the reach of Ospina.They almost doubled their lead three minutes before half-time when David Ducourtioux advanced down the right and then found Doumbia, but Romain Genevois made a vital intervention.The hosts continued to dominate in the second half, and wasted a fine chance just two minutes after the restart when Carl Medjani could not get his header on target having been left unmarked to meet Melikson's free-kick.Ospina then kept out a Pujol header before reaching to push clear Rudy Mater's long-range free-kick.It was entirely against the run of play that Nice levelled when Christian Bruls teed up Maupay to finish clinically.But Valenciennes had the final word when Majeed cut in from the left before powering a shot beyond Ospina to earn a potentially vital win.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

St Etienne 3-0 Valenciennes

St Etienne got their bid for Champions League football back on track with a 3-0 win at home to Valenciennes on Saturday.A goal on the stroke of half-time from Renaud Cohade and second-half efforts from Benjamin Corgnet and Yohan Mollo kept the hosts in the hunt for a top-three finish.Their hopes were hit by a 2-0 loss at Bordeaux last time out, but this win put them back to within a point of third-placed Lille, who play on Sunday.Valenciennes' concerns are at the other end of the table, though, and this loss kept them in the bottom three.St Etienne were on top from the off, Corgnet firing wide and then bringing a smart stop out of Nicolas Penneteau with a powerful shot from Jonathan Brison's cross.Penneteau then kept out a Brandao header from Romain Hamouma's perfectly-flighted cross, but he was finally beaten in first-half stoppage time as Cohade tapped home following a Franck Tabanou corner.VA at last worked Stephane Ruffier in the home goal as Maor Melikson tried his luck from the edge of the area early in the second half, but St Etienne were soon up and running again.Corgnet doubled their lead in the 55th minute, pouncing on a loose ball and finishing with a powerful drive across the keeper.Brandao volleyed inches over before Mollo added a stylish third five minutes from time, curling home a superb shot after being found by Mevlut Erding. ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Thauvin wins points

#INSERT type:image caption:Florain Thauvin celebrates his winner for Marseille END# Goals from in-form striker Andre-Pierre Gignac and Florian Thauvin saw Marseille return to winning ways after they edged to a 2-1 victory over Valenciennes. Marseille had lost their last three matches - which saw them exit both domestic cup competitions before a defeat at Monaco left them ninth in Ligue 1 - but they took the lead on the half hour through Gignac's 10th goal in nine games. Although Valenciennes winger Arthur Masuaku levelled matters shortly afterwards, the hosts had the last laugh when Thauvin netted in the 63rd minute. Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda was required to make a stunning save in stoppage time from Abdul Majeed Waris to ensure Marseille earned all three points to move up to fifth in the standings. Marseille caretaker head coach Jose Anigo was under pressure to turn the tide after three successive defeats, and his players did not disappoint as they came firing out of the traps. Thauvin latched on to Dimitri Payet's inch-perfect pass to the right edge of the penalty area before firing narrowly over, while Gignac also came close in the early running. Nicolas Penneteau came to Valenciennes' rescue with a fine save from Gignac, who beat the offside trap before dribbling past two defenders and shooting. Marseille's dominance was rewarded in the 30th minute although they were grateful for a mistake from Enza Yamissi, whose poor back pass allowed Gignac to steal in, round Penneteau and score. It was the least the home side deserved but Valenciennes levelled from their first sight at goal, with Masuaku converting from Rudy Mater's cross. After a low key start to the second half, David Ducourtioux almost brought the game back to life as a volley from the edge of the box forced Mandanda into a low save, which proved crucial as Marseille then re-took the lead immediately afterwards. Thauvin had managed to find some space at the back post and tapped in from Mathieu Valbuena's cross in the 63rd minute. Thauvin should have made sure of the win after being put through by Gignac, but the former Bastia man could only hit the side-netting. It was nearly a costly miss as, deep into stoppage time, Waris' header looked goalbound until Mandanda made a stunning save to ensure Marseille held on for victory. ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 1-1 Lorient

Ligue 1 strugglers Valenciennes claimed a point against Lorient in the 1-1 draw at the Stade du Hainaut on Saturday night.Saliou Ciss' 39th-minute own goal had given Lorient the lead but Gregory Pujol netted the equaliser for the home side shortly after the break to claim a vital point.The result leaves Valenciennes third bottom of the overall standings on 18 points, three adrift of safety.Lorient, meanwhile, remained in 10th place with 31 points.Despite their lowly position, Valenciennes had the best of the early chances, with Rudy Mater shooting just inches wide after racing 25 yards up the field.Tongo Doumbia then tested Lorient goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet with a right-footed strike in the 23rd minute, but the ball was steered to safety.Lorient hit back through a good move which involved Jeremie Aliadiere, Vincent Aboubakar and Raphael Guerreiro, with the latter unleashing a powerful strike which was denied by goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau.However, Lorient did break through nine minutes later but it was thanks to Valenciennes defender Ciss, who headed Gregory Bourillon's corner into his own goal.The visitors went close three minutes after the break when Alain Traore freed Aliadiere in the middle of the field, who fired a shot and forced a reflex save from Penneteau.VA then hit back in the 52nd minute when Pujol headed in at the near post from Mathieu Dossevi's corner.Traore forced a save from the Lorient before Ciss tried to atone for his earlier error when he set Doumbia through, only for Reynet to make a block.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Valenciennes 3-2 Bastia

Valenciennes survived a late fightback to claim a 3-2 win over Bastia and secure back-to-back Ligue 1 victories for the first time this season.Mathieu Dossevi scored twice in the first half to put the strugglers in control and when Abdul Waris grabbed a third it looked as if it was all over.But Romaric and Ilan netted for the visitors to set up a tense finish as VA held on.Dossevi nearly had the hosts ahead in the early stages but his free-kick was punched clear by Bastia goalkeeper Mickael Landreau.Tongo Doumbia then saw an effort deflected wide for a corner before Valenciennes took a 33rd-minute lead.There was a scramble in the visitors penalty area and the ball eventually came free to David Ducourtioux who set up Dossevi to score from close range.And just two minutes later, the 25-year-old had his second as Landreau's punched clearance fell to his feet and he once again had the simple task of firing home from inside the penalty area.Bastia were shellshocked but they nearly clawed their way back into it before the break via Ryad Boudebouz's volley but Nicolas Penneteau was equal to it in the home goal.Penneteau was called into action again after half-time as he saved from Djibril Cisse but nine minutes after the break it was 3-0.Rudy Mater and Doumbia combined to release Waris who beat Sebastien Squillaci and slotted home.The game looked over as a contest at that point but with 19 minutes remaining Bastia had a lifeline as Romaric latched onto a clearance and finished between Penneteau's legs.The visitors had their tails up and almost had a second a minute later with Adama Ba seeing his shot come back off the post.Ba did have a hand in Bastia's second as Ilan converted his left-wing cross with seven minutes to go but they could not find another as Valenciennes moved to within a point of safety.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Missed chance for Monaco

#INSERT type:image caption:Fuka Arthur Masuaku celebrates Valenciennes' opening goal. END# Monaco missed the chance to move top of Ligue 1 after suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat to Valenciennes.An Eric Abidal own goal and David Ducourtioux's first strike of the season proved to be enough to hand Daniel Sanchez's men only their third win of the season.James Rodriguez pulled one back late on for the hosts after Radamel Falcao had missed a penalty, but it was too little too late.Claudio Ranieri's men remain second, but have played one more game than their title rivals Paris St Germain and Lille, who meet on Sunday.And they will go into the winter break with a sense of frustration following their first defeat at home this season.Monaco dominated the early exchanges with Mounir Obbadi going close twice inside the opening 25 minutes.First the former Troyes midfielder saw a shot blocked by Ducourtioux after Layvin Kurzawa picked him out before he stole possession on the edge of the Valenciennes area before forcing a save out of Nicolas Penneteau.However, the Stade Louis II was stunned into silence with half an hour played when the visitors took an unlikely lead in fortunate circumstances.Youngster Arthur Masuaku got beyond his man on the left before delivering a hopeful cross which cannoned in off Abidal's shin after goalkeeper Daniel Subasic had missed it.Monaco thought they had replied when Rodriguez superbly danced his way into the area and, after Anthony Martial saw his shot blocked, Kurzawa bundled the ball over the line, but the assistant raised his flag to deny Ranieri's men.Valenciennes continued to live dangerously and were thankful of a goal-line clearance from Ducourtioux when fellow defender Gary Kagelmacher directed a header goalwards following a Joao Moutinho corner.The hosts continued to press for an equaliser and could have had a penalty when Martial took a tumble inside the area, but referee Olivier Thual was unmoved.Moutinho then grazed a post with a superb free-kick as the visitors took an unexpected lead into the break.In the second half Moutinho went agonisingly close again with a curling 25-yard free-kick before Martial cut in from the right and tested Penneteau with a stinging left-footed effort.The hosts rode their luck when, having thrown bodies forward, Mathieu Dossevi went close on the counter-attack, his curling effort palmed away by a diving Daniel Subasic.Monaco chose to ignore that warning and it proved costly as, once again on the counter, Ducourtioux was sent clear and he kept his calm to roll the ball beyond Subasic to send the visitors into a 2-0 lead.With time running out the hosts won a penalty when Falcao went down in the area, but the Colombian stepped up and saw his weak effort saved by Penneteau.Rodriguez to found the net with his head from the resulting corner, though, to give Monaco a lifeline.However, despite Monaco having a late Rodriguez strike ruled out for offside, VA held out to claim a notable win.

8Y
PA Sport

Valenciennes

SOCCER

Bordeaux 2-1 Valenciennes

Bordeaux made it four Ligue 1 wins in a row to move into a European place with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Valenciennes.Despite falling behind to an early second-half Tongo Doumbia header, the hosts hit back thanks to a Nicolas Maurice-Belay winner after Jussie had levelled from the spot.Valenciennes could have left the Stade Chaban-Delmas with a deserved point or maybe even all three, but Eloge Enza-Yamissi missed a second-half penalty with the score at 1-1.Les Girondins coach Francis Gillot changed his entire starting XI following Thursday's Europa League defeat to Maccabi Tel-Aviv and, perhaps as a result, struggled to get started against their out-of-form opponents.Valenciennes goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau flapped at a Gregory Sertic corner early on but both Ludovic Sane and Jussie came up short when attempting to get a telling touch in what was the closest either side came to finding the mark inside the first 30 minutes.Despite seeing little in the way of goalmouth action in the opening half hour, Sane was gifted the perfect opportunity to open the scoring for Bordeaux with little under 10 minutes left until the break but the unmarked centre-half wastefully headed wide after Ludovic Obraniak had picked him out perfectly inside the area.When referee Mikael Lesage brought an end to a dour opening 45 minutes a goal seemed unlikely to arrive at any point, but with just 10 minutes played in the second half Valenciennes took the lead against the run of play.Jean Christophe Bahebeck forced a corner for Daniel Sanchez's men following some neat skill, and from the resulting set-piece Doumbia headed home to become the first person to a score a Ligue 1 goal against Bordeaux in almost 360 minutes.The visitors' joy was short-lived though as Les Girondins levelled just a few minutes later when Landry N'Guemo's run into the area was halted by Benjamin Angoua and Lesage pointed at the spot.Brazilian Jussie stepped up and confidently slotted the ball beyond Penneteau for his fourth goal of the season.In what was proving to be a far more entertaining second half, Eloge Enza-Yamissi had the same opportunity as Jussie just 10 minutes later but, after Henrique had brought down Bahebeck, the Central Africa Republic international saw his penalty superbly saved by Cedric Carrasso.Valenciennes went close to retaking the lead when David Ducourtioux blazed over from inside the area but, moments later, the hosts went in front for the first time in the game.Maurice-Belay was allowed time in the left channel and he cleverly darted beyond Loris Nery before powering a low shot beyond Penneteau at the near post from inside the area.ends

8Y
PA Sport

Team	GP	W	D	L	GD	P
Toulouse	38	23	10	5	+49	79
AC Ajaccio	38	22	9	7	+20	75
AJ Auxerre	38	21	11	6	+22	74
Paris FC	38	20	10	8	+19	70
Sochaux	38	19	11	8	+13	68
Guingamp	38	15	13	10	+4	58
Caen	38	13	11	14	+9	50
Le Havre AC	38	13	11	14	-3	50
Nimes	38	14	7	17	-7	49
Pau	38	14	7	17	-8	49
Dijon FCO	38	13	8	17	-5	47
Bastia	38	10	16	12	+2	46
Niort	38	12	10	16	-3	46
SC Amiens	38	9	17	12	+2	44
Grenoble	38	12	8	18	-12	44
Valenciennes	38	10	14	14	-13	44
Rodez Aveyron	38	10	13	15	-10	43
US Quevilly	38	10	10	18	-17	40
Dunkerque	38	8	7	23	-25	31
AS Nancy Lorraine	38	6	9	23	-37	27

Valenciennes

Fixtures

Sources: LA Galaxy to sign French youngster

Valenciennes eye Diedhiou & Cabral

Senegalese starlet Diouf joins Leganes

Valenciennes boss gets ban for sexist ref rant

Valenciennes boss sorry over sexist ref rant

Toulouse 3-1 Valenciennes

Valenciennes 1-2 AS Monaco

Valenciennes 0-1 Bordeaux

Guingamp 1-0 Valenciennes

Valenciennes 2-6 Nantes

Lille 1-0 Valenciennes

Ligue 1: Rodriguez inspires Monaco

Valenciennes 1-2 Lyon

Montpellier 0-0 Valenciennes

Valenciennes 2-1 Stade Rennes

Stade de Reims 3-1 Valenciennes

Valenciennes 2-2 Sochaux

Zlatan on target again

Valenciennes 2-1 Nice

St Etienne 3-0 Valenciennes

Thauvin wins points

Valenciennes 1-1 Lorient

Valenciennes 3-2 Bastia

Missed chance for Monaco

Bordeaux 2-1 Valenciennes

Baptiste GuillaumeF #18

Ugo BonnetF #12

Gaëtan RobailM #9