Cole hat-trick puts Lille in French Cup last 32
PARIS: A Joe Cole treble helped Lille demolish Sixthdivision side Chantilly 6-0 to reach the French Cup last 32 as three top flight teams went out to lower league opposition on Saturday.
Former England forward Cole scored in the 22nd, 59th and 65th minutes as the French champions cantered through with Eden Hazard, who converted a penalty, and Ireneusz Jelen, who hit a double, also on the scoresheet.
Marseille’s visit to the Stade de France to face Third Division Red Star ended in a 5-0 win thanks to a Jordan Ayew double with his older brother Andre, Mathieu Valbuena and Benoit Cheyrou also on target.
Stade Rennes also went through thanks to a 3-0 home victory against fellow Ligue 1 side Nancy and Bordeaux reached the next round by winning 4-2 on penalties at St Etienne after the game ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time.
However, Lorient, Stade Brest, Sochaux and Caen all lost to lower level opposition.
Lorient slumped to a dramatic 4-3 defeat at second tier Le Havre with Yohann Riviere netting the winner 10 minutes from time.
Brest went down 2-0 at Third Division Niort to goals by Arnaud Gonzalez and Jimmy Roye either side of the interval, while Sochaux were thrashed 4-1 by Ligue 2 Bastia.
Caen lost 4-2 at home to Ligue 2 Troyes after extra time.
Top flight AJ Auxerre were pushed to extra time before winning 1-0 at Fifth Division Chambly courtesy of a late Dariusz Dudka penalty.
Amateurs AS Marck, who also play in the fifth tier, lost 2-0 at home to Ligue 1 Nice adding to the gloom affecting the area with the local coach and several players battling to keep their jobs at cross-channel ferry operator Seafrance.
But another Fifth Division team Limoges, best known in France for their basketball team’s European Cup victory in 1993, fared much better by beating Ligue 2 visitors Boulogne 10. — Reuters