Metz 0 - 2 Guingamp - Metz suffer home defeat

Metz's attempts to stay in Ligue 1 took another blow after they suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Guingamp.

Christophe Mandanne put the visitors ahead after 26 minutes before Jeremy Pied doubled their advantage six minutes before the break.

It means Metz have not not won in 14 matches, taking just two points from those matches and the future for Ligue 1's bottom club looks even more bleak.

The visitors began the stronger and only some alert keeping by Johann Carrasso prevented Mandanne opening the scoring before Thibault Giresse forced the Metz keeper to punch clear his dangerous free-kick.

Then, on 26 minutes, Mandanne found the net when he stooped to nod home Pied's teasing cross at the near post to bring reward for a strong start.

Guingamp continued to carve open the league's bottom side and roles were almost reversed just a few minutes later when Mandanne teed up Pied but the latter somehow failed to make a telling touch.

Giresse was next to be offered an opportunity for a second for the visitors when Gaetan Bussmann got his clearing header all wrong but the former Amiens midfielder was unable to capitalise with his first-time volley being kept out well by Johann Carrasso.

However, a second Guingamp goal followed shortly after when Bussmann's slip allowed Pied a shot at goal and his clinical 18-yard effort nestled in the back of the net with the aid of the right post.

The home fans inside the Stade Saint-Symphorien will have hoped for a response from their side after the interval but they were made to wait almost 20 minutes for the first real effort at goal, a Bouna Sarr 25-yard free-kick which came to rest in the stand behind the goal.

Metz continued to huff and puff and when Kwame Nsor broke free on the left his delivery looked like finding Cheikh Doucoure at the far post but the outstretched Ivorian was unable to get a telling touch.

Midfielder Guirane N'Daw was next to go close for the hosts but his header from Sarr's corner went the wrong side of the post.

Substitute Ronnie Schwartz almost wrapped up the points for Guingamp when he latched onto Younousse Sankhare's pass with little over 10 minutes to play but the Denmark striker's clever chip came back off Carrasso's crossbar.