Marseille come unstuck at Lens

LENS, France, Aug 17 (AFP) - Marseille, third last season, missed out on the chance to go top of the French first division Sunday when a defensive slip-up gifted Lens a 2-1 win.

Marseille took an early lead with a tenth minute goal from Didier Drogba but Lens' Papa Bouba Diop quickly levelled before Olivier Thomert got an injury time winner.

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The visitors went ahead after Ivory Coast striker Drogba leapt over the Lens defence to connect with a neatly taken corner from Stepan Vachousek, his angled header flying past Lens defender Cyril Rool guarding the right post.

But Lens equalised nine minutes later when Senegelese midfielder Diop picked up a cross from the right, and after some nifty ball control on the edge of the 18 yard box, hit a shot past Vedran Runje, the ball having taken a slight deflection off a Marseille defender.

Both teams, energised by midweek wins in Europe, treated the crowd at the Felix-Bollaert stadium to a dynamic first half which almost ended with a second Marseille goal but Daniel Van Buyten's free kick was edged to safety by Lens' imposing stopper Charles Itandje.

The second half was hardly any less frenetic, and Lens went close to scoring again when Thomert unleashed a dangerous volley which had Runje beaten only for the ball to hit the post.

But in the second minute of injury time Thomert took advantage of some sloppy defensive work when he was left alone in front of the Marseille goal, his left-footed strike seemingly paralysing an inert Runje.

There was a sting in the tail waiting for Lens, however, when Seydour Keita was sent off in the third minute of injury time after receiving his second yellow card.

So after three matches Lille, the only ubeaten side, have the lead with nine points after beating Toulouse on Saturday to add to their previous wins against Lyon and Paris Saint Germain.

Two points behind come Nice with Nantes in third and champions Lyon, 2-0 winners over Montpellier on Saturday, fourth.

Marseille tread water in sixth with Lens climbing five places to 12th.

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