Bastia halt winless run

Floyd Ayite's second-half strike proved enough as Bastia ended a six-match winless run with a narrow 1-0 victory over Nice at the Allianz Riviera on Saturday night.Claude Makelele's men, who suffered defeats in their previous two Ligue 1 encounters, bounced back thanks to Ayite's opportunist goal seven minutes after the break to record their second win of the season - their first away from home.The much-needed three points means the visitors moved up three places into 16th, while it ended Nice's three-match unbeaten run as Claude Puel's side dropped down a spot to sit 12th in the table.The hosts had a half-chance to take the lead in the opening quarter of an hour as Jordan Amavi picked out Alexy Bosetti in the penalty box but his header failed to trouble Alphonse Areola in the Bastia goal.As the half wore on, both sides seemed to struggle to create anything of note in front of goal but after 36 minutes Nice came close with a rare opportunity when Julian Palmieri's headed clearance fell to Gregoire Puel, but his effort from 20 yards was wayward.The visitors struck back with a chance of their own two minutes later but Francois Kamano's long-range strike sailed over Moez Hassen's crossbar.Five minutes before the break, Nice left-back Amavi created a good opportunity for himself but his right-footed effort at goal from the edge of the 18-yard box cleared the bar once again as the teams went into the break goalless.In the first real chance of the second half, it was the away side that found the back of the net after 52 minutes with a goal they owe thanks to Souleymane Diawara for his costly mistake.Nice defender Diawara made a huge error as he gifted possession to Ayite, leaving him with the simple task of firing beyond the stranded Hassen which he did with ease to put Bastia ahead.The home side attempted to clinch an equaliser five minutes later as Eric Bautheac escaped down the left before firing the ball in for Valentin Eysseric, but his first-time shot from 14 yards out went straight into the arms of Areola.Nice continued to press in search of a leveller as the match wore on with chances from Bosseti going wide and Bautheac over the crossbar before Didier Digard's late glancing header from Bautheac's corner ended up just beyond the far corner.