Late Aliadiere strike stuns Les Verts

Lorient’s players celebrate after scoring during the French Cup quarter final football match Saint Etienne vs Lorient, on April 16, 2013 at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium in Saint Etienne. Lorient won 2-1.

PARIS, France (AFP) - Jeremie Aliadiere’s stoppage-time strike took Lorient through to the semifinals of the French Cup on Tuesday as the Brittany side won 2-1 away to Saint-Etienne in their quarterfinal tie.

Aliadiere brilliantly converted a Mathias Autret cross three minutes into injury time to keep modest Lorient in with a chance of winning the Cup for the second time in their history.

Lorient had taken a first-half lead at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard courtesy of a comprehensive Maxime Barthelme finish, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off the bench to equalise for Les Verts in the 74th minute.

However, former Arsenal striker Aliadiere’s 18th goal of the season sealed Saint-Etienne’s first defeat of 2013 and also put paid to their dreams of winning a domestic Cup double.

Les Verts face Rennes in Saturday’s League Cup final as they bid to win a major trophy for the first time since their 1981 championship triumph.

Earlier, in a meeting of two clubs in the Ligue 1 relegation zone, Troyes beat Nancy 3-0, with Jeremie Brechet, Julien Faussurier and Fabien Camus all scoring in the second half.

The remaining quarter-finals will be played on Wednesday, when Bordeaux travel to face Lens, the only survivor from outside the top flight.

Then, Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who are bidding to win the Cup for the ninth time in their history, are away to Evian.