Lorient claim first win of season with surprise victory at Lens

[p]A cagey first half threatened to burst into life when the two sides exchanged promising chances moments before the half-hour mark. Kone was offered the time and space to take aim from inside the box, but his effort lacked the power required to trouble [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/risser-robin/zHRwZwXF/"]Robin Risser[/a].[/p][p]After making a routine stop, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lens/IBmris38/"]Lens[/a] goalkeeper quickly released the ball to start a patient move that culminated with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thauvin-florian/SMbMSc26/"]Florian Thauvin[/a] steering a header wide from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sima-abdallah/xzssoNnp/"]Abdallah Sima[/a]’s inviting delivery. [/p][p]While neither side was able to find the breakthrough in the first period, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lorient/jgNAYRGi/"]Lorient[/a] required less than 10 second-half minutes to hit the front after Lens carelessly gave possession away in their own half.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="19e114ff-c978-448b-b76b-11a76668c12f" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="2f642e6e-4c20-4985-94ab-2da16d2f9942" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]That allowed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbamba-noah/IgzqNpaO/"]Noah Mbamba[/a] to feed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/katseris-panos/MeGXOwdr/"]Panos Katseris[/a], who drove down the right flank and fizzed a low ball across for Koné to guide home from close range. [/b][/p][p]With momentum in their favour, Les Merlus should have doubled their advantage on the hour mark when the unmarked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makengo-jean-victor/KShf9Z3h/"]Jean-Victor Makengo[/a] blazed over from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kouassi-arsene/WCC14cm0/"]Arsene Kouassi[/a]’s pullback.[/p][p]Staring at the prospect of back-to-back defeats, Dino Toppmoller’s side started to up the ante and pin their opponents back into their own box.[/p][p]Lens’ pressure nearly yielded a reward when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cuisance-mickael/QNd9XJHR/"]Michael Cuisance[/a] produced a technically perfect volley from the edge of the box, only to be denied by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mvogo-yvon/fkOg2Gqj/"]Yvon Mvogo[/a]’s full-stretch stop.[/p][p]The Lorient goalkeeper was then required to make an awkward save to prevent Florian Thauvin’s mishit effort from creeping under the crossbar. [/p][p]Lens ultimately ran out of ideas, and their frustration boiled over when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sagnan-souleymane/CbSxeieG/"]Souleymane Sagnan[/a] was sent off in stoppage time, receiving the second of his two yellows for a cynical challenge.[/p][image alt="Momentum graph" id="3a29fa37-70c9-4248-bf51-5d5d1777eb89" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="67f63576-1c7d-4fb7-8787-f3996ae21204" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]In stark contrast, Lorient were in a celebratory mood following their first H2H away win in seven years, a result that moves them above their opponents in the Ligue 1 table. [/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adjei-nathaniel/z1as6ykH/"]Nathaniel Adjei[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lorient/jgNAYRGi/"]Lorient[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/lens-IBmris38/lorient-jgNAYRGi/summary/stats/?mid=pfGof8tf"]Check out all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]