Auxerre moved to within two points of the Ligue 1 summit as Joao Paulo's own goal earned them a fortunate 1-0 win at Le Mans.

The Portuguese put through his own net six minutes after the break to give the visitors their sixth straight win and keep the hosts in the bottom three, but Auxerre were holding on desperately at the end.

Three times Le Mans saw efforts come back off the woodwork, while Anthony Le Tallec saw his penalty saved by Olivier Sorin with four minutes to go.

Third-placed Auxerre could slip further adrift of the top two, Bordeaux and Lyon, on Sunday when that pair play their game in hand.

The visitors started brightly and Ireneusz Jelen took too long over a shooting chance when he had a clear sight of goal, giving Gregory Cerdan time to make a tackle.

Benoit Pedretti then picked out Aurelien Capoue with a corner, but the midfielder sent his shot from 12 yards just over the top.

Auxerre missed a glaring chance in the 41st minute when Daniel Niculae got free down the left and crossed for Jelen, who inexplicably missed the target with a side-foot volley from in front of goal.

Le Mans looked a much-improved side after the break and Thorstein Helstad saw his header come back off the post in the 47th minute after Sorin had pushed away Sebastien Corchia's free-kick.

But four minutes later they were behind as keeper Didier Ovono parried Jelen's shot against Joao Paulo, who was running back towards his own goal, the ball rebounding into the net.

Sorin then denied Helstad after he had got on the end of Rolland Lamah's cross, while at the other end Ovono produced a superb reflex save to keep out Kamel Chafni's attempt from the edge of the area.

Le Mans were denied by the post again in the 78th minute when Le Tallec's left-footed shot came back off the left upright.

And with five minutes to go the woodwork came to Auxerre's rescue for a third time, Corchia's cross coming back off the bar.

Le Mans' afternoon was summed up in the 86th minute when Auxerre defender Jean-Pascal Mignot was penalised for a handball in the area only for Sorin to push away the resulting penalty from Le Tallec.

The keeper blocked Modibo Maiga's follow-up attempt as well to keep the hosts at bay.