Valenciennes failed to complete a second-half comeback against Lorient and were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Stade du Hainaut in Ligue 1 on Saturday night.
An own goal from Saliou Ciss had given Lorient the lead at the break, but Gregory Pujol came off the bench to secure a draw for the hosts and had a wonderful chance to win the match for Valenciennes at the death.
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It was the away team who had the first real chance of the match in the 23rd minute, when a number of ricochets resulted in the ball falling to the feet of Vincent Aboubakar on the edge of the box. However, he snatched at the opportunity and dragged it well wide of the left post.
Lorient had another wonderful opportunity on the half-hour mark when the ball was worked to Raphael Guerreiro inside the box on the left, but he shot straight at the onrushing Nicolas Penneteau.
The away side finally got the lead they deserved just six minutes before half time when Gregory Bourillion's header from a corner was helped over the line from close range by Ciss.
However, Valenciennes got themselves on level terms just seven minutes into the second half when half-time substitute Pujol's looping header at the near post from a corner Mathieu Dossevi corner found its way into the far top corner.
Pujol had a great chance to win the match late on for Valenciennes after Majeed Waris' strong run down the left into the box, but Pujol couldn't stretch far enough to make contact with his teammate's cross at the back post.
The hosts could have snatched the win in stoppage time, but Waris shot his effort into the ground and wide from the edge of the box when left unmarked following a cross from the right.
The draw leaves Valenciennes three points adrift of safety in 18th, while Lorient remain 10th.
Matt Cotton
