Home comforts for Lille

Lille won for the first time at the Grand Stade Metropole as Nolan Roux and Ryan Mendes helped them beat Ajaccio 2-0.

Lille won for the first time at the Grand Stade Metropole as goals from Nolan Roux and Ryan Mendes saw them past Ajaccio 2-0 in Ligue 1. Roux's header was just reward for the home side's impressive first half, in which Benoit Pedretti had already been denied by a post. And Mendes struck 11 minutes after half-time to wrap up the points for Rudy Garcia's men. Mathieu Debuchy was first to threaten in the fifth minute when Pedretti nodded down Florent Balmont's cross into his path but the France full-back's 30-yard drive flashed just wide. That was the only real goal threat in a quiet opening half-hour but Pedretti then stirred the crowd at his team's new home into life with a free-kick which beat keeper Guillermo Ochoa all ends up but crashed back off the post. Ajaccio's first chance also came from a set-piece, Adrian Mutu swinging in a free-kick which midfielder Benjamin Andre headed wide. However, it was Lille who took the lead two minutes later when Pedretti, Balmont and Debuchy linked up down the right and the latter crossed to Roux, who headed back across goal to wrong-foot Ochoa. Mutu threatened an equaliser in the 53rd minute with a powerful 25-yard drive which was repelled by defender Debuchy. But Mendes extended Lille's lead with a firm right-foot shot after defender Samuel Bouhours allowed the ball to bounce into his path. Andre turned provider for Mutu in the 66th minute but the Romanian's ferocious shot was brilliantly saved by Mickael Landreau. Ochoa had to be at his best to keep out a De Melo header from Dimitri Payet's cross and also fielded Payet's stoppage-time free-kick as Lille were unable to add to their winning margin.