Nice 2 - 1 Toulouse

Nice 2-1 Toulouse

Updated: January 4, 2006, 5:34 PM ET

NICE, January 4 (Ligue 1) - The Christmas break has clearly done Nice the power of good as they kicked off 2006 with a victory at the expense of Toulouse.

Les Aiglons were champing at the bit and had already established a 2-0 lead after 26 minutes with goals from Bakary Kone and Marama Vahirua.

Issoumaila Dao did score a late goal for Toulouse but it was not enough to deny Nice and their coach Frederic Antonetti only their second win in eight Ligue 1 matches.

Nice were immediately snapping at the heels of their opponents and after nine minutes the ball fell to Kone whose left footed shot from 10 yards out on the left found the net.

Toulouse tried to hit back and after 15 minutes Francois Sirieix created an opening for Bryan Bergougnoux who was foiled by Damien Gregorini.

Nice were playing well, though, and Florent Balmont and Kone worked the ball to Mamadou Bagayoko whose shot was cleared.

The second goal arrived after 26 minutes as Kone crossed the ball with his left foot towards Vahirua who found the net from six yards.

Back came Toulouse and a minute before the break, Alexandre Bonnet's shot forced Gregorini into a save.

The second half saw Toulouse get their game into gear as they went looking for a goal with Jeremy Mathieu firing just over after 67 minutes.

Sirieix for Toulouse and Balmont and Cyril Rool for Nice were booked as tensions hotted up.

Dao got a goal back when he got his head to the ball after Gregorini had failed to clear a corner properly but there was no way back for Les Violets and soon the hosts were celebrating a win that augurs well for the new year.