Saint-Etienne 1 : 0 Bastia - St Etienne take third place

St Etienne climbed at least temporarily ahead of rivals Lyon into third place in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 win over Bastia.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel's second-half goal was enough to settle a tense encounter in the hosts' favour at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

The result extended ASSE's unbeaten run to eight league games, and 11 in all competitions, and they will await Lyon's result at Evian to see if they can hold on to third spot.

They started strongly and could have got their rewards when Jonathan Brison's cross found Benjamin Corgnet well-placed, but the midfielder headed wide.

Hesitation from home keeper Stephane Ruffier let Junior Tallo in at the other end, but his lob was off target.

Tallo did better with his next effort, rounding Ruffier and shooting on target, but Loic Perrin got back to clear off the line.

Corgnet volleyed just wide and Fabien Lemoine was denied by visiting keeper Alphonse Areola, and Van Wolfswinkel went closest of all just before half-time.

Corgnet nodded the ball down to the Dutch striker, whose effort shaved the outside of the post as the whistle came with the game still goalless.

Ruffier was forced into a decent low save by Francois Kamano's fierce drive early in the second period, but it was Les Verts who took the lead soon afterwards.

Lemoine's delightfully weighted pass caught the visiting defence flat-footed and sent Van Wolfswinkel in to lob Areola for the crucial goal.

Bastia were unlucky not to find an equaliser after hitting the post twice in the same attack. Ryad Boudebouz's header beat Ruffier but rebounded to Kamano, who suffered the same fate.

Areola denied Yohan Mollo but a single goal was enough for Christophe Galtier's men.