Montpellier HSC missed the chance to close the gap on Ligue 1's top five as Lorient secured a point with a goalless draw at the Stade du Moustoir.
Lorient should have been ahead inside the first 10 minutes when Raphael Guerreiro timed his run perfectly to sprint clear of the visiting defence, but he could only hit a tame effort straight at Geoffrey Jourdren.
The hosts were on top for the majority of the first half, and the lively Guerreiro continued to cause problems as he crossed for Benjamin Jeannot, who was left frustrated when his goal was correctly ruled out for offside.
Jeannot's movement threatened the Montpellier defence again after the break, but he was inches away from reaching a cross at the back post as the visitors survived another spell of pressure.
Despite Lorient's superiority, the Montpellier back four improved as the second half progressed to reduce the opportunities on offer.
It was Montpellier who looked the more likely to break the deadlock heading into the closing stages, but Souleymane Camara spurned a good opportunity when he headed over from Anthony Mounier's inviting cross.
However, Lorient almost stole the points against the run of play late on when Jourdren was forced to push Gilles Sunu's low effort past the post in a 0-0 stalemate.
Callum Mulvihill
