South Korea´s Park sparks Monaco victory

South Korea international striker Park Chu-young scored a memorable goal to help Monaco to a 2-1 win at Marseille on Sunday and a place in the top four of the French first division.

It was the 24-year-old’s second league goal of the season in six outings this season as Monaco went into fourth spot, five points behind leaders Lyon.

Park was put clear by a fine, long pass from Argentine midfielder Alejandro Alonso in the 42 minute.

Marseille defenders Gabriel Heinze and Souleymane Diawara allowed the Korean to break away from their attention to score past Steve Mandanda in goal for a 2-0 lead.

Monaco had taken the lead in the 19th minute through Brazilian midfielder Nene, but they had to survive a nervous closing period when Mamadou Niang grabbed his sixth goal of the season to cut the deficit.

Marseille, beaten 3-0 by Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek and 3-2 by Valenciennes in the French top flight last weekend, are fifth in the table, a point behind Monaco.

Lyon went top of the table with a 2-0 win over Lens on Saturday as defending champions Bordeaux slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Saint Etienne, ending their unbeaten streak.

Sydney Govou gave Lyon a sixth-minute lead before Kim Kallstrom wrapped up the three points late in the second period.

Lyon have 20 points, one ahead of Bordeaux, and are the only undefeated side left in the division.

Bordeaux were missing influential midfielder Yoann Gourcuff, who suffered a thigh injury in the 1-0 Champions League win over Maccabi Haifa as the champions suffered their first loss since a 3-0 reverse against Toulouse on March 7.

Coach Laurent Blanc, desperate to keep his stars fresh for the domestic and European campaigns, left Morocco striker Maroune Chamakh and Brazilian midfielder Wendel on the bench for Saturday’s trip.

Saint Etienne, buoyed by a 2-1 win at Monaco last weekend which lifted them into mid-table, were ahead after just eight minutes with a headed goal from Augusto Fernandez.

Araujo Ilan made it 2-0 on the half-hour mark with Bordeaux’s Brazilian import Jussie pulling a goal back from the penalty spot in the second half.

But Saint Etienne wrapped up the three points in stoppage time when Dimitri Payet unleashed a 35-metre screamer.

“You are never happy when you lose,” said Blanc. “We’re disappointed with the result and our first-half performance. Saint Etienne deserved to win mostly because of their first-half.”

Montpellier are third after a 3-2 win at rock-bottom Grenoble who have lost all of their eight league matches.

Victor Montano and Nenad Dzodic gave Montpellier a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes before Daniel Ljuboja reduced the deficit early in the second half.

Dzodic extended Montpellier’s lead in the 49th minute with Nicolas Dieuze’s injury-time strike coming too late to halt Grenoble’s miserable run, a record for successive defeats in the French league.

Paris St Germain are now in seventh place, seven points behind Lyon, after a 1-1 draw at the Parc des Princes against Nancy.

Youssouf Hadji put Nancy into a 13th minute lead before Stephane Sessegnon levelled five minutes later.