Govou winner puts Lyon nine points clear

(CNN) -- Lyon took another step towards a seventh successive French league title with a 2-1 victory at Valenciennes on Sunday.

Striker Sidney Govou netted a 65th-minute winner, scoring his seventh league goal this season to put Alain Perrin's side nine points clear with just seven games left.

Govou fired a cross from Abdul Kader Keita past Valenciennes goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau to seal a sixth successive win which came despite the continued absence of the league's injured top scorer Karim Benzema.

Keita gave Lyon an eighth-minute lead when he drove past Penneteau from a pinpoint cross from Francois Clerc, but Valenciennes -- who upset second-placed Bordeaux last weekend -- leveled in the 27th minute when Eric Chelle headed home.

Meanwhile, Paris St Germain's League Cup victory celebrations were dampened when fellow strugglers Toulouse beat rock-bottom Metz 2-0 on Sunday to push the capital club into second from bottom spot.

Achille Emana scored twice in the last 10 minutes to give Toulouse victory and lift them a place above PSG, who beat Lens 2-1 in Saturday's final.

In Sunday's late game, fourth-placed Marseille kept their European hopes alive by beating Lorient 2-1, with Mamadou Niang netting a 79th-minute winner for his 13th goal this season.

Rafik Saifi gave Lorient the lead just before the interval before Kanga Akale leveled seven minutes after the break for the visitors, who are now three points behind third-placed Nancy.

Earlier, Sochaux eased their relegation worries with a 1-0 win at home to sixth-placed Nice, Auxerre triumphed 2-0 at Lille and mid-table Caen earned a 1-1 draw at fifth-placed Le Mans. E-mail to a friend

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