Caen beats Arles-Avignon 2-0 in French league

Posted Monday, March 21, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

PARIS (AP)—Morocco striker Youssef El Arabi scored his 14th league goal of the season as Caen beat last-place Arles-Avignon 2-0 in the French league on Sunday to move six points clear of the relegation zone.

Caen struggled to break down a resolute defense before winger Yohan Mollo found the net in the 79th minute with a powerful free kick from the edge of the penalty area that flew into the top left corner.

El Arabi wrapped up the win in the 85th when he broke into the penalty area, cut inside a defender and then curled the ball into the bottom right corner.

“We were shy in the first half, we lacked rhythm,” Caen coach Franck Dumas said. “Mollo’s free kick was the breakthrough and I knew a second goal would come.”

Monaco stays in the drop zone after stumbling to a 1-0 home loss to fellow struggler Nancy, which scored an early goal when Brazilian defender Andre Luiz headed in powerfully from Julien Feret’s 19th-minute corner.

Monaco’s South Korea forward, Park Chu-young, had a first-half penalty saved by goalkeeper Damien Gregorini, who made several other saves in the second half.

“The situation has been serious for quite some time,” Monaco coach Laurent Banide said. “Things are very complicated now and we will have to respond very quickly.”

Monaco is in 18th place and is three points behind 17th-place Auxerre. Arles is rock bottom and looks certain to be relegated, having only won one game out of 28 in the league this season.

Monaco will hope to pick up some points away to Arles-Avignon next week before hosting Lille. Monaco has averaged under a goal per game so far this season, but Arles-Avignon has conceded 55 goals.

“There are four or five teams in this relegation scrap,” Monaco goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier said. “It’s the team that fights the hardest that will make it.”

Later, Marseille was at home to bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain.