A late winner from Clarck N'Sikulu secured a 1-0 win over Montpellier HSC and guided Evian TG further clear of the Ligue 1 relegation zone.

Evian appeared happy to sit back for long spells of the match as Montpellier dominated possession throughout the first half, but clear goalscoring opportunities proved difficult to come by.

© Getty Images

Benjamin Leroy would be forced into action when the visitors kept the ball patiently on the edge of the box before Kevin Berigaud unleashed an effort which needed pushing past the post.

Montpellier were restricted to speculative strikes for much of the match, with both Lucas Barrios and Morgan Sanson firing over from distance before the break.

Evian created a golden chance to snatch a goal against the run of play midway through a largely uneventful second half, but Mathieu Duhamel mistimed his jump after being gifted space in the box.

It was Montpellier who applied most of the pressure heading into the closing stages, but Evian collected all three points thanks to N'Sikulu, who reacted quickest to a deflected cross to steer the ball home at the near post.