Stade Rennes keeps hold of Ligue 1 top spot
October 18th 2010 12:05
Rennes were held to a goalless draw by relegation-battling Lens and suffered the late sending-off of substitute Tongo Hamed Doumbia on a disappointing afternoon for the Ligue 1 leaders.
It was a game of few chances but Lens could claim to have the bulk of them, although neither side really came close to scoring.
A first half best described as tentative produced only one chance of note, but Jires Kembo Ekoko's first-time shot just before the break was blocked by Lens defender Eric Chelle.
Things got a little better after the break but the goalkeepers were still not overworked.
Kembo Ekoko had another chance to score in the 51st minute after Stephane Dalmat's through ball left him with only the keeper to beat, but Vedran Runje made the save.
At the other end, Nicolas Douchez easily held Yohan Demont's long-range effort.
The hosts had a great chance in the 64th minute when Kanga Akale's cross picked out Toifilou Maoulida in a great position, but he got his header all wrong.
Ekoko then blazed the ball over before Douchez made a good save to keep out Abdoulrazak Boukari's header.
The Togolese striker had a good chance from the rebound but his backheel went wide.
The game then ended on a sour note as Doumbia received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle.
The good news for Rennes was that, despite their poor showing, they hung on to top spot as rivals St Etienne suffered a 2-1 reverse at Nice.
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