Rennes missed out on the opportunity to go top of Ligue 1 for at least for a few hours as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Lorient, courtesy of two second-half goals.

After a fairly even first half, Alaixys Romao broke the deadlock just before the hour mark and Jeremy Morel made the points safe five minutes from time. The win took Lorient to within two points of their visitors as the Ligue 1 table becomes ever more congested.

It was the hosts who made the early running and they were denied by Rennes goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez twice in the opening five minutes.

First Morgan Amalfitano tried his luck from the edge of the area, with Douchez saving, before the keeper beat away an effort from Kevin Gameiro from a similar position after he was played in by Amalfitano.

At the other end, opposite number Fabien Audard was called into action when Victor Hugo Montano tried his luck from long range after 11 minutes. And he kept the game goalless again eight minutes later when he stopped Jerome Leroy's first-time shot after Montano had let the ball run on from Jires Kembo Ekoko's pull-back.

After the break it was Lorient who created the better chances. Lynel Kitambala took on two defenders before unleashing a shot which Douchez saved.

They took a deserved lead in the 59th minute, as a good team move ended with Amalfitano advancing into the area and shooting. Douchez saved but could only push the ball to Romao, who finished from close range.

Buoyed by their goal, Lorient went in search of another, but Douchez denied Gameiro with a decent save after 62 minutes and Arnold Mvuemba's volley from Gameiro's corner skimmed the crossbar on its way behind.

The second goal came with five minutes to play and again Gameiro was involved, crossing for Morel to lash a shot past Douchez.