PARIS — Striker Renaud Ripart scored a late penalty as Nimes beat Lorient 1-0 in the French league on Wednesday to move out of the relegation zone and put Lorient there instead.
Nimes has won three consecutive matches without conceding a goal and is in 17th place while Lorient dropped to 19th after a second straight loss.
Ripart confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way in the 88th minute after a Lorient defender handled the ball following a corner.
In an even first half, Nimes midfielder Haris Duljevic missed a good chance and Lorient defender Julien Laporte hit the crossbar with a powerful shot from 25 meters.
Lorient again went close when striker Terem Mefi’s header struck a post early in the second half.
The match was rescheduled from the 21st round of matches following a coronavirus outbreak in the Lorient squad.
Lorient’s five-game unbeaten league run ended last weekend when it lost 4-1 at home to leader Lille.
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