Saint-Etienne seal slender win

Saint-Etienne edged out Toulouse 1-0 to leapfrog them in the Ligue 1 table and move up to seventh place. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got the goal in the 70th minute to settle an even match between two sides hoping to work their way into the European reckoning. Aubameyang's goal highlighted a strong second half for the visitors, but it was Toulouse who had dominated before the break. Antoine Devaux was the first to threaten the goal and a deflection nearly helped his shot on its way, but Stephane Ruffier made the save. Paulo Machado then broke free in the area, chesting the ball down and then firing a powerful effort towards goal, but Ruffier got a firm hand to the ball to make the save. Emmanuel Riviere was inches away from breaking the deadlock when Franck Tabanou laid the ball off, but the forward's shot skimmed the left-hand post and went out. Aubameyang had a rare chance for the visitors in the 32nd minute, but Ali Ahamada made the block before also denying Sylvain Marchal before the break. That was a sign of things to come in the second half, which belonged to Saint-Etienne. Aubameyang tested Ahamada early on and, after Tabanou sent a shot narrowly wide at the other end, it was the 22-year-old who got the opening goal, latching on to a long ball from Jeremy Clement and then holding off four defenders before shooting over Ahamada. Daniel Braaten should have done better with a chance to equalise soon after, heading wide when unmarked, but it was Saint-Etienne who finished the stronger. Ahamada saved smartly from Bakary Sako and then denied him on the follow-up too, while the goalkeeper also did well to deny Aubameyang a second in the closing stages.