AS Monaco needed a late penalty from Fabinho to secure a 1-0 win over 10-man Saint-Etienne at Stade Louis II in Ligue 1 this afternoon.
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The visitors had the majority of the possession in the opening 15 minutes of the match, but Kevin Malcuit had a shot blocked while trying to hammer the ball home from a Romain Hamouma cross, while Kevin Monnet-Pacquet missed the target shortly after.
Monaco started to come into the match more as the first half progressed, but Helder Costa was denied the opening goal when his powerful drive came back off the crossbar, after Nabil Dirar had set him up with a long ball forward.
Stephane Ruffier had to be alert in the Saint-Etienne goal as half time approached, as Uwa Elderson Echiejile launched the ball forward for Joao Moutinho, but the keeper was able to tip the winger's first-time hit behind.
Thomas Lemar curled the ball back in from the resulting corner, but Echiejile headed it over, leaving the teams level at the interval.
The home side continued to look the more likely at the start of the second half as Lemar made a run forward moments after the restart, latching on to a ball out from the back by Wallace, but his 20-yard swerving finish went wide.
Jeremy Toulalan fired the ball over moments later while trying to blast it in from a Costa cross, while Dirar headed wide from a corner as the home side continued to search for the elusive opener.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men shortly after the hour mark when Malcuit, who had been booked in the first half, picked up his second yellow for a foul on Moutinho, leaving Saint-Etienne a man short for the final 25 minutes.
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Despite their numerical advantage, Monaco struggled to create chances, with the visitors getting numbers behind the ball as they tried to hold on for the draw.
The pressure finally proved too much for Saint-Etienne in the final 10 minutes as Pierre-Yves Polomat handled the ball while trying to clear a Fabinho shot, giving the home side a spot kick, which the defender coolly slotted into the bottom left corner.
Monaco continued to see the majority of the possession in the final five minutes, but were unable to find a second goal to put the result beyond doubt.
Fabinho's spot kick is enough to lift the team up to second in the table though, while Saint-Etienne stay seventh.
