Benzema rescues leaders Lyon with late strike

ST ETIENNE, France -- Lyon snatched a late equalizer to draw 1-1 at local rivals St Etienne on Sunday and move four points clear in France.

The defending champions were boosted before the match when second-placed Bordeaux were surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Lorient.

But Alain Perrin's team need a superb free-kick in time added on from the league's top scorer Karim Benzema to avoid a similar fate.

The France international netted his 15th goal of the campaign to put Lyon on 46 points from 23 games.

Lyon's France international goalkeeper Gregory Coupet gifted St Etienne the lead on the stroke of half-time when he mishit a clearance straight at Bafetimbi Gomis, who did well to nod the ball into the net.

The visitors, who welcomed back striker Sidney Govou after a two-week injury absence, have the best away attack in the league but could not break down a miserly St Etienne defense which has conceded just a goal a game on average.

However, Benzema's late strike left Bordeaux ruing their failure to at least earn a point at Lorient in Sunday's only other match.

Christophe Jallet scored the winning penalty 15 minutes from time after Bordeaux's Brazilian defender Henrique fouled Rafik Saiki.

Lorient, who drew at Bordeaux earlier in the season, made it five wins on a roll at their Moustoir stadium fortress to move up three places to seventh, just three points off the European places. E-mail to a friend

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