Ligue 2 Review #14: High-flying Dunkerque blow promotion race wide open

Dunkerque 1-0 Ajaccio: Les Maritimes rise into the promotion equation

The Northern side have been the feel-good story of the Ligue 2 season so far with their push at the top end of the table. With Lorient and leaders Paris FC drawing in matchday 14, it gave Les Maritimes the chance to boost their unexpected promotion hopes with a win over AC Ajaccio. Yacine Bammou stepped up with a penalty to score the game's only goal against the Corsican visitors (34'), who were reduced to ten men in the second half.

Luis De Castro's side held on to seal their third straight win in the league, rising level on points with league leaders Paris FC on 28 points. With Lorient just behind on 27 points, the face for promotion is tightening up as we enter the winter months. The club, who were only promoted to Ligue 2 two seasons ago, are beating all expectations and are undergoing an excellent campaign thus far.

Quick Stat: Dunkerque have 28 points after 14 Ligue 2 matches, at least eight more than in any other season for USLD in the division since 1993-1994. This is also the first time over the period that Les Nordistes have been in one of the top two positions in the league at the end of a matchday.

Caen 3-3 Rodez: Six-goal thriller sees points shared

Rodez seem to love a 3-3 draw. After goalkeeping heroics saw the Aveyron side clinch a 3-3 draw in dramatic fashion against Guingnamp, Rodez managed to repeat the feat against league leaders Paris FC. This time Didier Santini will be less happy with his side, having led on two occasions to draw against fellow strugglers Caen (3-3). Two sides that were only separated by a point before the game equalled out on the pitch.

Ibrahima Baldé opened the scoring for the visitors (13') before Mohamed Bouchouari doubled just before half-time (45+1'). Caen's Romain Thomas grabbed one back just before the end of the half (45'+4) before Bilal Brahimi was served excellently by Noé Lebreton to level the score at 2-2 (51'). Timothé Nkada was on target for Rodez only minutes later (54') to re-give the lead to the away side. Then, a dramatic injury-time strike from Daylam Meddah would give Caen a precious point in the dying seconds of the game.

Elsewhere in Ligue 2: 

• League leaders Paris FC were held by FC Annecy at Stade Charléty, the away side were down to ten men in injury time. 
• FC Lorient couldn't capitalise on PFC's fourth straight draw, because they drawed themselves to a tricky Bastia side on Saturday evening (0-0) as Les Merlus dropped to third place.
• A 10-man Guingamp sealed a dominant win over Amiens to get back into the play-off conversation thanks to a brace by Jonathan Siwe and a strike from Amine Hemia.
• Pau completed a 4-1 rout over struggling Red Star FC at the Noust Camp to get back into the league's top 10, as Les Audoniens dropped into the relegation spots.

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>>Ligue 2 Review #13: Lorient win Breton Derby to close in on Paris FC