Angers played almost an hour with 10 men to record a third successive win with a 1-0 victory over Troyes.
In a promising start from the hosts, they were close to taking the lead when Cheikh Ndoye found the space to connect with a free header which drifted just over.
The miss left the midfielder frustrated, but his evening would become much worse just after the half-hour mark when he was shown a straight red card for a high tackle on Jessy Pi.
© Getty Images
Despite being handed a boost, the lack of a clinical edge in the Troyes lineup was a concern for the visitors once again as they struggled to break down a stubborn Angers defence.
It was the 10 men who made the better start to the second half and they were gifted the chance to break the deadlock when Loosemy Karaboue brought down Romain Thomas inside the box.
Denis Petric was not given a chance of keeping out the penalty as Thomas Mangani fired home to hand his side the crucial lead.
© Getty Images
Troyes would enjoy long spells of possession but chances were rare, and their best opportunity of the second half was wasted when Chris Mavinga sliced his effort wide after finding space in a promising position.
Angers were in no mood to give away a late equaliser and Stephane Moulin's side held on to climb up to fifth.
Callum Mulvihill
