Utaka fires Montpellier to first title
Utaka now French champion
Utaka, who has been recalled by Nigeria after two year’s in the international wilderness, has thus added the French Ligue 1 trophy to the English FA Cup winners’ medal he won with Portsmouth in 2008.
League leaders Montpellier travelled to Auxerre Sunday knowing a point would be enough to pick up the title, but though already relegated their hosts did everything they could to spoil the party for them.
Olivier Kapo gave Auxerre the lead after 20 minutes, while their disgruntled fans threw tennis balls onto the Stade Abbé Deschamps pitch in protest, which held up the second half by about 10 minutes, before further disturbances meant the final 20 minutes were played after all the evening's other games had already finished.
That meant a nervous wait once news of Paris Saint-Germain's victory at
FC Lorient filtered through, but Utaka's 32nd minute equaliser and
the Nigerian's second 15 minutes from time proved enough for René Girard's men
to end the season three points clear of big-spending PSG atop the standings.
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