Bottom side Ajaccio secured a fourth straight win in all competitions as they beat Auxerre 2-1 to leave the foot of the Ligue 1 table looking particularly crowded.
Olivier Pantaloni's men, looking to defy the odds and avoid an immediate return to Ligue 2, came through a stormy meeting with Auxerre, which ended with just 19 men on the pitch, to move onto 18 points.
They are joined on that tally by Sochaux and Nice, while freefalling Auxerre and Nancy are just a point better off.
Dennis Oliech had given Laurent Fournier's Auxerre a 13th-minute lead, but their hopes of a first away win of the season were hamstrung by Anthony Le Tallec's sending off nine minutes later.
Eduardo quickly equalised and Fousseni Diawara put L'ours ahead, before they had Samuel Bouhours and Arnaud Maire sent off in a fiery end to the first half.
They managed to calm things down after the interval, though, and held on for three precious points.
Such an outcome had not looked likely when AJA got off to a flying start at Stade Francois Coty.
Cedrid Hengbart's deep cross found Israel striker Ben Sahar, and his nod down fell kindly for Oliech who did the rest to net an eighth goal of the season.
Le Tallec undid that good work, however, receiving his marching orders for a shocking challenge on Mehdi Mostefa.
With 10 men against them, the home side set about wiping out the deficit and did so with 27 minutes gone, when Eduardo pounced on a loose ball and left Olivier Sorin with no chance.
Buoyed by their breakthrough, Ajaccio hit the post through Johan Cavalli's free-kick and then went ahead 12 minutes before the break when Diawara got his head on the end of a Cavalli's corner.
The drama was not over for the first-half, though, with Bouhours leaving the field five minutes for the whistle after receiving a second yellow card for dissent, two minutes before Maire saw red for clattering into Oliech.
The interval was just what both sides needed and things were somewhat calmer after it, although Eduardo was unhappy to see his lobbed 'goal' ruled out for offside.
Auxerre should have had enough to at least get level, especially with a man extra and plenty of space in which to work, but the nearest they went was went Rudy Haddad found Oliech in the box and he could only head over.
