Valenciennes 1-2 AS Monaco
Nabil Dirar's late strike saw Monaco scrape a 2-1 victory at relegated Valenciennes in an effectively dead rubber Ligue 1 contest.<p>Valere Germain put the visitors in front five minutes before the break but Claudio Ranieri's men looked set for a second successive 1-1 draw with lowly opposition - following their home clash with Guingamp on Wednesday - when Tongo Doumbia levelled with 20 minutes to go.<p>Dirar then came to their rescue, firing past Nicolas Penneteau in fine style in the 87th minute.<p>With the 19th-placed hosts already down and their opponents guaranteed to finish as runners-up behind champions Paris St Germain, there was little play to for.<p>But Valenciennes made a positive start, with Majeed Waris calling goalkeeper Sergio Romero into action with a shot in the opening few seconds.<p>Monaco hit back in the 10th minute as Germain rattled a powerful strike against the crossbar.<p>There was another chance for Monaco seven minutes later, with Yannick Ferreira Carrasco through on goal but denied by a fabulous save from the outrushing Penneteau.<p>The game then became the more subdued affair that might have been expected, until the 40th minute, when Ferreira-Carrasco provided the tee up with a great corner delivery from which Germain converted past the helpless Penneteau.<p>Germain tried his luck again soon after the break with Valenciennes having given away possession, but his shot was well blocked by Carl Medjani.<p>The equaliser arrived when Arthur Masuaku plays a perfect low cross into the Monaco box and Doumbia applied a cool, left-footed finish.<p>And Valenciennes might have turned the game on its head within eight minutes as Waris played a back heel into the path of Gregory Pujol and the Monaco defence managed to put in a goal-saving block to keep the shot out from six yards.<p>The away side then came close to reclaiming the lead as Penneteau denied Germain.<p>But Monaco did go ahead soon after, Dirar cracking in a sublime effort that gave the goalkeeper no chance.<p>ends