Nantes 0 - 2 AS Monaco

Nantes 0-2 Monaco

Updated: January 29, 2003, 7:11 PM UK

NANTES, January 29 (Ligue 1) - Monaco chalked up their first league win of 2003 to put themselves right back in contention at the top of Ligue 1.

The principality club, who had drawn four consecutive Championnat games going into their clash at the Stade de la Beaujoire, took the lead after just four minutes, courtesy of Ludovic Giuly.

Shabani Nonda added a second in the 73rd minute to seal the three points.

Nantes had won their last four games on home soil, culminating in their 4-1 hammering of Sedan last week, but their coach Angel Marcos had warned beforehand that Monaco would be a different proposition and so it proved.

The home side were not helped by the absence of their regular goalkeeper Mickael Landreau who succumbed to gastroenteritis.

His deputy Willy Grondin got off to a nightmare start as a quick Monaco counter-attack saw Nonda play Giuly in to find the net with a left-foot shot.

Nantes were unlucky to go in at half-time a goal down as they made most of the running after the early setback, with Marama Vahirua influential.

Vahirua hit the crossbar in the 33rd minute from around 25 yards out.

Monaco were restricted to hitting on the break, but they forced a save out of Grondin in the 43rd minute when he had to stretch to push Giuly's shot past the post.

Monaco continued with their backs to the wall for most of the second half, until the introduction of Dado Prso for the visitors in the 69th minute saw them begin to turn the screw.

Prso caused Nantes problems with his pace and it was his run down the wing and cross that provided Monaco with their second goal, with Nonda guiding the centre under the bar.

Three minutes after scoring, Didier Deschamps` side almost added a third when Grondin pushed a Jerome Rothen free-kick onto the bar.