Lens 0 : 0 Caen - Promoted pair share goalless draw

Posted Monday, September 29, 2014 by PA

Promoted sides Lens and Caen played out an entertaining 90 minutes on Sunday but failed to produce a goal in their Ligue 1 encounter at the Stade de la Licorne.

Antoine Kombouare's Lens mustered the best chance of the match in the 64th minute, but Yoann Touzghar contrived to fire over the bar from close range - much to the fury of his coach.

The result left both teams on eight points and in 14th and 13th places, respectively - just one point above the relegation zone after eight games.

The visitors passed up the first opportunity in the 13th minute, Mathieu Duhamel lashing a right-footed shot just over the bar from the edge of the box after being set up by Bengali Koita.

Three minutes later, Caen goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre had to be alert to block a 25-yard fizzer from Lalaina Nomenjanahary.

Caen had a couple of sights of goal before the break, N'Golo Kante drilling a 30-yard left-footed effort inches wide from Koita's pass and Duhamel deflecting a Jean Calve free-kick goalwards only to be denied by Lens goalkeeper Rudy Riou, but there was to be no breakthrough.

The match continued in the same vein after the interval, with both sides creating plenty but unable to finish off.

Riou twice thwarted the visiting attack in the early stages of the second half, first blocking Koita's attempt after he was freed by Damien Da Silva and then turning away Jordan Adeoti's shot after a fine pass from Duhamel.

Vercoutre too was determined to keep his clean sheet, though - he made a decent save from Nomenjanahary after he had got past two defenders and got his shot away just before the hour.

And Kombouare was left furious on the touchline soon after when Deme N'Diaye found Touzghar unmarked in the six-yard box, only for the 27-year-old to somehow send his effort over the bar.