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Ayew hat-trick fails to spare Marseille from jeers

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Fans jeered Marseille throughout their 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over rock-bottom Ajaccio despite a hat-trick from Andre Ayew.

It was the 1993 European champions' first win since the end of February but wasn't enough to lift them above sixth place as they remain six points off a European qualification spot ahead of the weekend matches.

Despite Ayew giving the hosts a third-minute lead with a delectable lob, fans vented their anger throughout following a month of March in which Marseille picked up just two points out of a possible 15 -- the worst record in the league.

Fans unfurled banners telling the players and officials to "take responsibility" and accusing them all of "destroying in one season a club built over many years".

This result, though, at least ended a run of successive 1-0 home defeats against strugglers Nice and Rennes.

Despite the lack of home support, Marseille were dominant and Ajaccio goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa at times kept his side in the match with saves from Ayew and Saber Khelifa.

Fans chanted for coach Jose Anigo to quit and became increasingly hostile and restless when forward Andre-Pierre Gignac headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Ayew doubled Marseille's advantage with a powerful header from Dimitri Payet's cross on the hour mark but within a minute Ivory Coast forward Junior Tallo had pulled a goal back, although from a position that appeared at least two yards offside.

But with 15 minutes to play Ayew settled the nerves with his hat-trick goal from Brice Dja Djedje's cross.

Fans jeered Marseille throughout their 3-1 Ligue 1 victory over rock-bottom Ajaccio despite a hat-trick from Andre Ayew.

It was the 1993 European champions’ first win since the end of February but wasn’t enough to lift them above sixth place as they remain six points off a European qualification spot ahead of the weekend matches.

Despite Ayew giving the hosts a third-minute lead with a delectable lob, fans vented their anger throughout following a month of March in which Marseille picked up just two points out of a possible 15 — the worst record in the league.

Fans unfurled banners telling the players and officials to “take responsibility” and accusing them all of “destroying in one season a club built over many years”.

This result, though, at least ended a run of successive 1-0 home defeats against strugglers Nice and Rennes.

Despite the lack of home support, Marseille were dominant and Ajaccio goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa at times kept his side in the match with saves from Ayew and Saber Khelifa.

Fans chanted for coach Jose Anigo to quit and became increasingly hostile and restless when forward Andre-Pierre Gignac headed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Ayew doubled Marseille’s advantage with a powerful header from Dimitri Payet’s cross on the hour mark but within a minute Ivory Coast forward Junior Tallo had pulled a goal back, although from a position that appeared at least two yards offside.

But with 15 minutes to play Ayew settled the nerves with his hat-trick goal from Brice Dja Djedje’s cross.

AFP
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With 2,400 staff representing 100 different nationalities, AFP covers the world as a leading global news agency. AFP provides fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the issues affecting our daily lives.

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