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Auxerre 2-0 Monaco: Burgundy Outfit Go Top Of Ligue 1

AJA defeated les Monegasques in a closely fought game, moving themselves ahead of the previous leaders in Le Championnat…

Nov 21, 2009 9:52:32 PM

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Ligue 1 : Ireuneusz Jelen (AJ Auxerre)

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A goal from Adama Coulibaly four minutes before the break and a second strike from Delvin Ndinga late on proved enough for Auxerre to defeat Monaco and move clear at the summit of Ligue 1.

AJA’s seventh consecutive league success was a result of a solid first half performance that saw them display efficiency in front of goal as the Malian headed them into the lead. More pronounced in the second half, Monaco failed to fashion chances, and they would suffer late on when they leaked a second goal.

Built from a tablet of defensive solidarity, Auxerre barely gave their opponents a moment’s peace in the first half, harrying and chasing the ball high up the field and preventing any sort of stream of possession for Monegasque frontman Eidur Gudjohnsen, who cut a lonely figure in the first period.

Not that Auxerre were particularly enterprising for all their efforts, but in a rather drab first half, they certainly provided the highlight moments.

It would be quarter of an hour before visiting hearts would flutter with worry. Set pieces would prove a useful route to Stephane Ruffier’s goal on an evening on which clear-cut chances would be infrequent, and Benoit Pedretti’s expertly delivered free kick was the first source of panic. The head-height centre was flicked on at the near post, but Jean-Pascal Mignot could not quite react quickly enough to divert the ball into the corner of the net, glancing wide.

Flashes from Kamel Chafni and Ireneusz Jelen kept a large home crowd happy, though the pace of Park Chu-Young was an infrequent niggle on the counter.

On the half hour mark AJA had a second chance to ripple the twine of Ruffier’s goal. A corner was cleared in an unconvincing style and was quickly pumped back into the box. Cedric Hengbart had managed to ghost away from any defenders and from 12 yards out he knew he had missed a good chance as he clipped his header down but by the post.

Pedretti maintained control of the midfield until half-time, but it would be from another of his deadly set pieces that the Burgundy side finally earned something tangible to show for their dominance. As is so often the case from such situations, the goal was made to look outrageously simple, with a header from Coulibaly impressively placed.

After being bossed in the first half, Monaco grew into the game a little more after the break and would go on to have the better of the second 45 minutes. Actual efforts on goal were still tough to come by, although Adriano went close with a header from a Gudjohnsen corner in the early stages.

Only a few seconds later home goalkeeper Olivier Sorin would be called into action for the first time. A dangerous centre was arrowed onto the head of the Icelandic forward, who was denied by a fine diving block as he tried to angle his header back across goal.

Alejandro Alonso would be frustrated as his shot was blocked, but the Argentine would have been aware that les Monegasques were stepping the pressure up on their hosts impressively. Indeed, midway through the second half his purposeful burst down the right created a shooting chance for himself, though Sorin was again on hand to save.

As for the hosts, they were finding opportunities to impress sparse. Set plays remained a big weapon, with Coulibaly heading over the top from another Pedretti corner.

That did not stop them finding a decisive second goal with only a couple of minutes remaining. AJA broke forward quickly, with Niculae holding onto possession sufficiently to release Ndinga, who was totally alone down the left. Keeping his composure, the Congo star finished neatly, sending the Stade Abbe-Deschamps wild.

His goal sealed the three points for Auxerre, who have shifted onto 25 points – the same tally as Bordeaux and Lyon, who had previously led the pack. While the Burgundy club can start dreaming of the future, Monaco head coach Guy Lacombe must consider the lack of creativity in his side without Nene. They drop to

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

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