Bastia strike early for win

First-half goals from Florian Raspentino and Gianni Bruno gave Bastia a 2-0 win over Reims.

First-half goals from Florian Raspentino and Gianni Bruno gave Bastia a 2-0 win over Reims which should satisfy any worries they have about relegation. Frederic Hantz's men are now 12 points clear of the drop zone and, if they are daring enough, could dream of a late run to the European places. A mid-table sanctuary is more than likely to be good enough, though, and that was surely secured with this result which ended a five-game winless run. That sequence could well be what robs them of a chance to have a go at a European finish but they may not worry about that too much, especially after this impressive win. Sambou Yatabare was sent off with 13 minutes gone but the game was up by then after a fine first-half showing. Bruno got them going with a fourth-minute shot with Kossi Agassa kept out, before Raspentino put them ahead with nine minutes on the clock. Romaric whistled in a free-kick that was too hot for Agassa to hold and Raspentino put away the rebound from six yards. Bastia were winning the midfield battle and as a result, the game overall, and their position nearly improved as Yatabare put a shot just over. Bruno then missed from six yards as the chances continued to come, before Reims hit the post through Odair Fortes who was unlucky to see his volley fail to find the net. He will have felt all the more annoyed three minutes before the break and Mickael Tacalfred lost possession to Bruno who raced clear and made it 2-0. It was just what Reims did not want ahead of the break and it took them some time to show a response in the second half, leaving it 10 minutes before the ventured forward, with Mads Albaek heading wide. Yatabare then saw a goal-bound shot deflected wide by team-mate Djibril Cisse, before his luck got even worse as he saw a straight red for a dismal head-high challenge on Gaetan Courtet. It mattered little, though, and Bastia saw the game out with 10 men for 15 minutes, with their only moment of panic coming when Gaetan Charbonnier brushed the post in injury time.