AJ Auxerre produced a ruthless display to defeat Stade Brestois 29 3-0 in their Ligue 1 clash at Stade de l’Abbé Deschamps, despite being reduced to 10 men inside the opening minutes.
The hosts suffered an early setback when Donovan Léon was shown a straight red card in the sixth minute, forcing manager Christophe Pélissier into a quick reshuffle.
Substitute goalkeeper Théo de Percin was introduced shortly after and made an immediate impact, producing a fine save to deny Rémy Labeau Lascary.
Against the odds, Auxerre took control midway through the first half. Bryan Okoh rose to glance home a header from Romain Faivre’s corner in the 24th minute, putting the 10-man side ahead. Brest pushed for an equaliser before the break, coming closest when Junior Diaz struck the post with a header.
Auxerre remained efficient after the interval and doubled their advantage just before the hour mark. Okoh grabbed his second of the game, again capitalising on Faivre’s dangerous delivery from a set piece.
The result was put beyond doubt in the 70th minute when Danny Namaso fired in from distance following a pass by Gideon Mensah.
Although Brest enjoyed more possession, Auxerre’s cutting edge proved decisive, registering seven shots on target from just 11 attempts.
The result lifts confidence for the home side, who remain 16th, while Brest slip to 11th in the standings.
Auxerre will look to build on the victory in their next outing away to Le Havre, while Brest return home to face Rennes.
