Toulouse on the up

Toulouse moved up to second in Ligue 1 following a comfortable 3-1 victory over Brest.

Toulouse moved up to second in Ligue 1 following a comfortable 3-1 victory over Brest, whose woeful record on their travels this season shows no signs of abating. First-half goals from Wissam Ben Yedder and Etienne Capoue put the hosts firmly in control and although Benoit Lesoimier pulled one back for Brest after the interval, Adrien Regattin made sure of the win in injury time. Toulouse are now just three points behind leaders Paris St Germain while Brest are yet to pick up a single point in six away games this season. Coach Alain Casanova warned his side not to take Brest lightly tonight and it seemed they had heeded his warning as the hosts almost took the lead as early as the sixth minute when Ben Yedder volleyed narrowly wide from Serge Aurier's cross. The 22-year-old would not be denied and opened the scoring after 29 minutes with a wonderful effort. After collecting the ball from Aymen Abdennour, Ben Yedder dribbled past Ahmed Kantari to go through on goal before curling into the top corner. He could have doubled the lead soon after but another volley from Etienne Didot's cross was pushed away by Alexis Thebaux. There was nothing the Brest keeper could do, however, when Capoue doubled Toulouse's advantage five minutes before the interval by heading home - via a slight deflection off Kantari's thigh - from Didot's corner. To their credit, Brest attempted to force their way back into the match after the interval with Charlison Benschop and Gregory Lorenzi both volleying wide. And their persistence paid off as Benoit Lesoimier halved the deficit in the 74th minute - albeit fortuitously. Toulouse keeper Ali Ahamada could only clear as far as Geoffrey Dernis, who freed Lesoimier down the left and his cross-cum-shot found the back of the net. The visitors desperately went in search of an equaliser but they were caught when Regattin raced clear and lobbed over an on-rushing Thebaux to seal the three points for Toulouse.