En Avant de Guingamp pulled five points clear of the drop zone with a 1-0 win at Stade de Reims. Younousse Sankharé's goal (26') separated the sides and left the hosts in the bottom three.
Stade de Reims 0 - 1 EA Guingamp 
Guingamp made the 600 kilometre journey east to Champagne
country with only two point separating them in 16th from their hosts in 17th.
Despite a confidence-boosting 2-0 win over AS Saint-Étienne last time out,
Jocelyn Gourvennec's side surrendered the early initiative to the hosts.
Hamari Traoré raced down the flank before cutting back for
Gaëtan Charbonnier, but the striker missed what should have been his fifth goal
of the season from close range (9'). Charbonnier's strike partner Nicolas de
Préville then attempted an audacious free-kick from fully 40 metres out, but
his effort stayed out after hitting the woodwork (16').
It was somewhat
against the run of play, then, when Sankharé made it 1-0 at the other end. The
Senegal midfielder used his strength to fend off Abdelhamid El Kaoutari before
beating Johann Carrasso from a tight angle to score his fifth - and surely best
- goal of this Ligue 1 campaign (26').
Reims frustrated
Reims frustrated
De Préville had another free-kick inside the hour, and this time
he sent a wicked ball into the box instead of going for goal. Aïssa Mandi tried
to convert at the back post but the captain was denied by a recovering Jérémy
Sorbon (58').
With their 1-0 lead, Guingamp camped 11 players behind the ball for the final half-hour, and Mandi's shot from distance which sailed over Jonas Lossl's goal (69') summed up a frustrating evening for Olivier Guégan's side.
With their 1-0 lead, Guingamp camped 11 players behind the ball for the final half-hour, and Mandi's shot from distance which sailed over Jonas Lossl's goal (69') summed up a frustrating evening for Olivier Guégan's side.
To their credit, Reims never let up, and they nearly snatched a
share of the spoils deep into injury-time when substitute Lass Bangoura found
himself unmarked at the back post, but Lossl saved (90+2') and it ended 1-0 to
the Bretons.
