French Ligue 1

Sochaux 2-1 Evian Thonon Gaillard

Sochaux ended a four-match run without a win to climb out of the Ligue 1 drop zone as they saw off Evian.

First-half goals from Sloan Provat and Ryan Boudebouz, the latter from the penalty spot, put the hosts in control of the match.

Evian got one back through Youssef Adnane early in the second half and had chances to level it, but Sochaux hung on to take three vital points.

The home side scored the opening goal with their first real chance, Boudebouz whipping in a free-kick for Privat to head beyond the reach of Stephan Anderson.

Evian created chances to equalise, but Brice Dja Dejdje fired wide from the right side of the penalty area and Simon Pouplin kept out a powerful effort from Yannick Sagbo after a quick move from the visitors.

Instead it was Sochaux who got a second before the break, Djakaridja Kone guilty of handball from Boudebouz's corner and Boudebouz lashing a left-footed shot into the right side of the goal, narrowly beyond the diving goalkeeper.

Evian got back into the match in the second half, scoring in the 54th minute as Sidney Govou sent a long ball into the area and Adnane rose to head home.

They could have been level three minutes later when Kone fired narrowly wide from a good position after nice build-up play from Fabrice Ehret and Govou.

In the 78th minute, Pouplin did well to close down the advancing Sagbo, and he did enough to force the shot wide.

The last chance went to Sochaux as Privat narrowly missed the target on the counter-attack, but they had already done enough to win.