New AJ Auxerre boss Christophe Pélissier wasn't turning his nose up at the point secured with the late 1-1 draw in Troyes on Friday - a result that moved the promoted side to 14th, three points clear of the drop zone - provisionally.
In a season that has the spectre of four relegations at the end of the campaign - as the league streamlines down to 18 teams - looming over it, promoted Auxerre have taken steps to ensure their survival and are now unbeaten in two under new boss Pélissier.
That winning feeling...
After beating Ajaccio 1-0 in the new boss's first match in charge, Auxerre looked set for the see-saw when Rony Lopes opened the scoring (28') - until Gaëtan Perrin latched onto Lassina Sinayoko's cut-back and beat Gautier Gallon (86') to rescue what could end up being a crucial point.
"It feels a bit like we won tonight," admitted Pélissier after the dramatic late draw. "When you're behind and you manage to equalise in the last five minutes with lads who don't give up, it's very promising for the future. It's great that we've collected four points in two games. We know that we have a long way to go, but when we have the right mindset, and good things can happen."
Use the Force...
What magic words did experienced former Lorient boss Pélissier find at half-time to spur his side on?
"I thought that in the first half we were rushing a bit, that we lacked a bit of precision in the last thirty metres. In the second half, we had to work on our width, be patient and as soon as things opened up a bit, put some speed into our sequences," explained Pélissier. "The equaliser was, in terms of its conception, exactly we wanted. The players were rewarded. We were lucky enough to level the score but afterwards, we were a bit shaky defensively. Benoît [Costil] got us the point with two extraordinary saves in added time."
Auxerre now sit three points clear of the drop zone - but only provisionally, as the rest of Round 14 is yet to be played, and they could drop as low as 17th by the end of the weekend.
Crunch clash
Before the World Cup break - a hiatus that should give Pélissier some valuable time to work with his squad ahead of the resumption in late December - Auxerre's fledgling unbeaten run of two matches will face as stiff test as they travel to the Parc des Princes to take one league leaders Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday afternoon.
>> MATCH REPORT: Auxerre snatch late draw at Troyes
