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Le Mans still deep in trouble |
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Le Mans' Ligue 1 future remains hanging in the balance after they could only earn a point against Monaco at Stade Louis II.
Mathieu Dossevi fired Le Mans in front after 10 minutes, but Monaco hit back as Moussa Maazou scored the equaliser three minutes into the second half.
Monaco could have won it, but Nene missed a 57th-minute penalty to give 18th-placed Le Mans a point which narrows the gap to 17th-placed St Etienne to seven points with only nine to play for.
Prior to the match, Monaco coach Guy Lacombe insisted his players would not have their minds on Saturday's final of the Coupe de France.
The principality club meet Paris St Germain in the cup final in a fixture that offers both clubs their only route into Europe next season after underwhelming league campaigns.
Mid-table Monaco have little more than pride to play for in Ligue 1, with both the European berths and relegation places too far away to be of concern.
But they appeared to suffer from looking ahead to Saturday's showpiece early on against Le Mans.
Dossevi tucked in the first chance of the game at the far post after Modiba Maiga and Samuel Bouhours combined down the left.
Park Chu-young forced a corner at the other end before Le Mans went close to netting a second, with Maiga again influential.
He found Roland Lamah, who unleashed a powerful right-foot shot from the left which hit the crossbar.
Joao Paulo then had a shot blocked for Le Mans before Juan Pablo Pino fired narrowly over for Monaco.
The hosts equalised three minutes after the restart when Pino freed Maazou who diverted the ball in with a header.
Joao Paulo's handball gifted Monaco the opportunity to take the three points, but Nene's spot kick was saved by Didier Ovono.
Ovono denied Nene again soon after before saving from Yannick Sagbo as the match ended in a draw.
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