RC Lens missed the chance to go third on Saturday, with Angelo Fulgini's opener cancelled out by Montpellier Hérault SC left-back Faitout Maouassa in a 1-1 draw.
Lens had been leaders Paris Saint-Germain's nearest challengers earlier in the season, but have endured a recent wobble with only one win in the five games preceding their trip to Montpellier.
They got off to the perfect start, though, with Fulgini lifting the ball over Benjamin Lecomte with less than five minutes on the clock. Maouassa's second-half header was enough to give La Paillade a share of the spoils, though.
"They had a chance and a half and they scored," raged Lens manager Franck Haise. "Last week we beat Nantes with 15 chances to one. But we still conceded a goal. If you want reach a very high level, you have to score goals and simply not concede them."
Lens did dominate Montpellier, with 19 shots at their opponents' goal compared to eight on their own, but it wasn't quite as one-sided as Haise described.
"It's not a victory," said his opposite number Michel Der Zakarian. "But this draw lets us move forward and is good for our balance. I'm very proud of what the players did against a great team. They showed a lot of heart, desire, and didn't give up."
>> REPORT: Honours even between Montpellier and Lens
