Estac Troyes secured their first home win of the season by beating Le Mans 2-0, a result that lifted them to 16th in the table and sent their fellow promoted side down to 17th.
The match took more than 25 minutes to produce a shot, but Troyes made their first meaningful effort count in the 33rd minute. Timothe Nkada released Mouhamed Diop, who cut inside on to his right foot before curling a finish beyond Nicolas Kocik.
Le Mans failed to register a shot on target before half-time. Patrick Videira responded by introducing Dame Gueye and Billal Brahimi at the interval, and the visitors enjoyed more possession after the restart.
Raul Torrente came close for Le Mans, but his effort was blocked by Adrien Monfray. That increased pressure did not lead to clear chances, however, and the additional space allowed Troyes to threaten on the counter.
Ismael Boura had been on the pitch for only five minutes after coming on in the 66th minute when he doubled Troyes’ advantage. Antoine Mille’s corner found Monfray, whose left-footed effort was saved by Kocik, but Boura followed up to score.
Kocik then prevented further damage with saves from Kandet Diawara and Diop. Jeremy Le Douaron had a late opportunity to add a third but failed to hit the target.
Le Mans had 61% possession but managed only three shots, with one on target. Troyes had 39% of the ball and produced 14 attempts, eight of which were on target. The expected-goals figures also reflected the difference between the teams: 2.06 for Troyes compared with 0.22 for Le Mans.
Kocik made five saves, while Troyes goalkeeper Hilaire Konate needed only one. Stephane Dumont retained the side that had drawn 0-0 at Toulouse, with Troyes content to defend without the ball and attack efficiently. Gueye admitted to Ligue 1+ after the game: “We don’t play together.”
Dumont replaced Nkada with Diawara at half-time, Paolo Gozzi with Boura in the 66th minute, and later sent on Le Douaron and Iron Gomis in the 79th. Videira used all five substitutions, bringing on Brahimi and Gueye at half-time, Jean Vercruysse in the 60th minute, and Yasser Larouci and William Harhouz in the 74th. Le Mans still failed to produce another effort on target.
Diop, who played 79 minutes, scored once, had two shots on target and created two key passes. Comorian forward Boura scored in his 24 minutes, with two shots on target. Dermane Karim and Junior Diaz played the full match for Troyes, while Diawara recorded two efforts on target after coming on at the break.
For Le Mans, captain Samuel Yohou played all 90 minutes. Habib Diallo and Gueye each played one half, while Louis Mafouta completed 74 minutes without a shot on target. Larouci appeared for the final 16 minutes.
Troyes now have eight points, with a goal difference of -9 after nine matches. Le Mans have seven points and a -7 goal difference, ahead of Monday evening’s final fixture, Lorient-Brest. Troyes visit the Parc des Princes on 7 November, while Le Mans host Monaco the following day.
