PARIS -- Ivory Coast winger Max-Alain Gradel scored for the fourth straight match as Saint-Etienne secured a 3-2 win at struggling Metz on Saturday to strengthen its hold on fifth place in the French league standings.
Saint-Etienne claimed its sixth away win of the season and moved four points clear of Montpellier and Bordeaux in the fight for European places, just one point behind Monaco.
Gradel put the visitors ahead in the 38th minute with a clinical finish from Romain Hamouma's cross after being left unmarked in the area. Mevlut Erding doubled Saint-Etienne's lead four minutes later after being set up by Hamouma in the back of the defense.
Kevin Lejeune pulled one back for Metz after the interval with a 20-meter strike in the top left corner before substitute Yohan Mollo gave Saint-Etienne more space to breathe from another assist by Hamouma.
Yeni Ngbakoto ensured a nervy finish with a last-minute penalty but Metz - chasing a first win since November - slumped to a 17th defeat, ten points away from safety.
''I congratulate our strikers, who have shown determination and efficiency,'' Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier said. ''This is a very important result for their individual self-belief and the team's confidence. It bodes well for the final sprint.''
In Saturday's other games, Lucas Barrios scored twice as sixth-placed Montpellier recovered from a 5-1 thrashing by Lyon with a 3-1 win over Reims.
Fighting against relegation, Lens clinched a 1-0 win over fellow struggler Toulouse while goals from Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and Serge Gakpe ensured a 2-1 win for Nantes against Evian. Lorient moved five points above the danger zone with a 2-1 win over Caen, which was reduced to 10 men after 16 minutes when defender Damien Da Silva received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle.
The first half at Saint-Symphorien stadium was balanced, with Metz creating the first chance just before the half-hour mark when former Saint-Etienne player Sylvain Marchal fired his shot over the bar from Lejeune's corner. But Hamouma's first assist helped Saint-Etienne broke the deadlock soon after as Gradel slotted home from his precise back pass.
The game was then interrupted for a few minutes after Saint-Etienne keeper Stephane Ruffier was reportedly hit by projectiles, including a lighter, thrown by Metz supporters.
Hamouma was decisive again in the 42nd minute when he found Erding with a lofted ball, with the striker rounding goalkeeper Anthony Mfa before netting with a right-foot low shot.
Mfa kept Metz in the game with a spectacular diving save to deny Francois Clerc's strike in the 50th minute, six minutes before Lejeune gave the home fans something to cheer with his first goal this season.
Saint-Etienne looked to have sealed the win with Mollo's goal but referee Nicolas Rainville added a touch of suspense to the game when he awarded a penalty to Metz for a handball in the area.
Second-place Paris Saint-Germain travels to Bordeaux on Sunday while Marseille hosts leader Lyon. If Marseille wins and PSG loses then Marseille will move into second spot on goal difference, one point behind Lyon. PSG still has to travel to play Marseille this season.
Lille faces Rennes in Sunday's other game.
