Metz 2 : 3 Saint-Etienne - More misery for Metz

St Etienne closed back to within a point of fourth-placed Monaco as they eased to a 3-2 win away to rock-bottom Metz.

Goals from Max Gradel, Mevlut Erding and Yohan Mollo - all three assisted by Romain Hamouma - allowed St Etienne to immediately close the gap opened up by Monaco when they beat Bastia 3-0 on Friday evening.

After Gradel and Erding struck late in the first half, Metz halved the deficit through Kevin Lejeune, but Mollo gave St Etienne the breathing space they needed before Yeni N'Gbakoto's stoppage-time penalty.

Metz threatened early on as Lejeune fired narrowly wide after only six minutes, but it was otherwise a quiet start to the match.

St Etienne sparked it into life in the 36th minute when Hamouma broke down the right and crossed for the unmarked Gradel to volley home from close range.

Metz's response was an ugly one as fans threw objects at St Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier, forcing play to be temporarily halted.

Soon after it did resume St Etienne took their revenge, with Hamouma again the architect, splitting the defence with a pass that allowed Erding to race into the area, round the goalkeeper and finish into an empty net.

Anthony Mfa was at full-stretch to keep out Francois Clerc's volley five minutes into the second half and Metz were given hope six minutes later when Lejeune pulled a goal back.

Clerc mis-hit a clearance and Lejeune swooped, rounding Franck Tabanou before firing a fierce shot into the goal.

They were close to an equaliser in the 70th minute as Ruffier was forced into an excellent save to keep out Bouna Sarr's free-kick and St Etienne did not breath easily until Mollo's 80th-minute strike gave them a cushion.

Hamouma played yet another excellent ball and Mollo was able to take a touch before lashing it into the net.

Metz scored again, with N'Gbakoto sending a powerful penalty straight down the middle after Benjamin Corgnet was deemed to have handled, but it was too little too late for the hosts.