Saint-Etienne played hosts to Evian TG at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard with the chance to move up to fourth in the Ligue 1 table.
The match was initially scheduled to be played prior to the winter break, but was postponed until now due to the conditions.
In what was a textbook 'game of two halves' Saint-Etienne emerged victorious after a first-half winner.
Read how the match unfolded in the live commentary below.
7.18pmGood evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage from Ligue 1 where Saint-Etienne entertain Evian TG at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
7.22pmThey say love is always better the second time around. I'm not quite sure what that has to do with this fixture, but there must be some sort of joke in there. Anyway, let's hope this game gets underway at the second time of asking. This was supposed to be played just before the winter break kicked in, but the horrendous weather conditions forced the officials to call off the match just minutes before kick off.
7.24pmHopefully we won't be in for a repeat of that tonight, despite the recent poor conditions. And it should be a top fixture tonight with both teams needing a win but for different circumstances.
7.28pmChristophe Galtier's Saint-Etienne has their sights set on fourth place in Ligue 1 tonight, and they can move above Bordeaux with a win this evening. Meanwhile, Pascal Dupraz's Evian sit just six points clear of the relegation zone having struggled in front of goal over the past number of weeks and could do with pushing away from the bottom and getting their season back on track.
7.30pmRight, let's get the team news.
7.31pmSAINT-ETIENNE XI: Ruffier, Brison, Perrin, Sall, Ghoulam, Clement, Corgnet, Cohade, Tabanou, Erding, Hamouma
7.34pmGaltier makes three changes to the team that beat Nantes just before Christmas.
7.35pmSaint-Etienne are without the suspended Kurt Zouma, Francois Clerc and Fabien Lemoine for this match, but Galtier brings in Faouzi Ghoulam, Renaud Cohade, Romain Hamouma.
7.36pmAnd for the bench.
7.38pmSAINT-ETIENNE BENCH: Moulin, Pogba, Mignot, Madianga, Gradel, Brandao, Saint-Maximin
7.38pmAnd now for Evian.
7.39pmEVIAN XI: Laquait, Wass, Sabaly, Mongongu, Mensah, Djadjedje, Tie Bi, Kone, Sorlin, Berigaud, Sougou
7.42pmPascal Dupraz has named the same side that lost 3-1 at Nice prior to the break.
7.42pmAnd here is what Dupraz has in reserve.
7.43pmEVIAN BENCH: Hansen, Angoula, Cambon, Boccara, Barbosa, Benezet, Ruben
7.45pmSo they're the two squads, and both sides are making their way out onto the field.
1 minKICK OFF! Saint-Etienne, playing from left to right, get the match underway.
2 minSaint-Etienne are wearing their home kit of green shirts, white shorts and green socks, while Evian are in all navy.
3 minSaint-Etienne have started the better of the two teams with more possession, but haven't trouble Laquait yet. Corgnet just hit a half-volley at an awkward height comfortably off target.
5 minBerigaud has a chance to attack for Evian and runs at the Saint-Etienne backline. The ball bobbles up for him on the edge of the box, but he hits a dipping effort wide of the right post.
8 minSaint-Etienne have enjoyed more of the ball in the opening stages of this match, with Evian defending in numbers. We're still awaiting the first testing shot on target though.
10 minI commented about the weather earlier and, if I'm honest, the pitch isn't looking fantastic. We've seen a lot of bobbles already in this match, and both penalty areas looks as if they've been raided by moles....Sports Moles. I joke, but the pitch is pretty bad.
13 minSAVE! First chance of the match goes to Saint-Etienne as Tabanou unleashes a strong strike from 30 yards out on the left, which forces Hansen to fling himself to his left to push the ball away from the top corner.
15 minYELLOW CARD Cedric Mongongu goes into the book for a late challenge.
18 minBerigaud is down having taken a pretty hard whack in the face from Sall as the two challenge for the ball. He'll be fine but I think he's just a bit shocked following the hit.
19 minWhile Saint-Etienne have been on top, Evian have done well to limit the hosts to just the one real chance which was from range. Les Verts are struggling to break through a robust Evian backline.
22 minGOAL! Saint-Etienne 1-0 Evian TG (Romain Hamouma)
22 minSaint-Etienne take the lead through a combination of perseverance and shocking defender. Hamouma, from a central position, strikes a low effort from 25 yards which Laquait spills in front of him. He should be able to get away with it, but Jonathan Mensah makes a right hash of trying to get the ball under control. He should just hoof it away, but allows Hamouma to carry on running and slot the loose ball past Laquait into the back of the net.
24 minJust as I was praising Evian's defending, they went and did that. Commentator's curse I believe it's called.
27 minDespite the fortunate about the goal, there is no doubt that Saint-Etienne deserve their lead. We've barely seen the other half of the field so far.
30 minCLOSE! Very nearly 2-0, and it's Tabanou from range again. He's almost in the exact same position, 30 yards out just left of centre, and smashes the ball across goal. It's a decent effort but fizzes just wide of the bottom far corner with Laquait at full stretch.
32 minA rare shot from Evian, and it's hit by Kone in a central position, 25 yards out. The less said the better, as he slices it over the bar.
33 minSAVE! Awesome stop by Laquait to keep Evian in this. Corgnet is brilliantly slide through on goal down the centre and he races into the box. Hansen is quickly off his line, and manages to stick out a hand and make the save as Cornget tries to dink it past him.
36 minSaint-Etienne are looking good at the moment, and if they could double their lead before the break, you can't help but feel that it will be game over for Evian.
39 minThe pitch hasn't made things easy tonight on the players, and there have been a lot of mistakes.
41 minI was just saying about the pitch condition, but I'm not sure Wass can use that excuse here. He takes a corner and hoofs it straight out of play.
43 minEvian get another corner which is a lot better, but Mensah just cannot quite reach the ball.
45 minWe will have one added minute.
45+1 minMISS! That should have definitely been 2-0, and right before the break. Hamouma wreaks havoc once again as he goes down the right, and his cross falls the Brison. What follows is a full-back's finish, as he drags the ball wide of the near post when he should really hit the back of the net.
45+2 minHALF TIME: Saint-Etienne 1-0 Evian TG
8.34pmNo shock that it's the hosts who lead at the break, they've been by far the better team. Romain Hamouma keeps up his impressive run this season with his seventh goal of the campaign.
8.35pmSaint-Etienne have been good, Evian have been poor, the pitch has been woeful.
8.36pmIt's going to be a tough ask for Evian to come back off the back of that first half, but they can take heart from the fact that it's just the one goal they're down by.
8.48pmThe teams are back out, and Evian are making a substitution.
8.49pmEVIAN CHANGE: Cedric Cambon is coming on in defence to replace Jonathan Mensah, who had a shocker in that opening 45.
46 minKICK OFF! Evian, playing to the right, get the second half up and running.
48 minCLOSE! Nearly the perfect start for Evian. A cross is curled in from the left touchline and Berigaud rises on the near side of the box to head at goal. But the looping effort flies just past the front post.
50 minEvian have made a far better start to this half than they did to the first. They're enjoying a fair bit of possession at the moment and have have the best chance of the period.
52 minDjadjedje takes a corner from the right for Evian, but it fails to beat the first man.
53 minCHANCE! Djadjedje nearly makes up for it as he wriggles between two markers to get his head to across, but he nods it over.
56 minEVIAN CHANGE: Eric Tie Bi is making way for Cedric Barbosa.
59 minSAVE! Evian attack once more as Barbosa comes down the left and sends in a searching low cross which Ruffier dives out to punch clear.
62 minEvian are still well and truly in this game, and have had the better of this half. Saint-Etienne have barely had a sniff at goal.
64 minEVIAN CHANGE: Final swap from the visitors as Ruben comes on in place of Kone, while Dupraz gives Wass some instructions.
67 minYELLOW CARD Sougou picks up a silly caution as he leaves his leg in a challenge against Ruffier, who had already claimed the ball. The goalkeeper isn't happy and squares up to the player. Sougou looks as if he is going to burst into tears.
68 minSAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE: Florentin Pogba gets a chance to show what he is capable of, as Benjamin Corgnet is replaced.
70 minSaint-Etienne have been awarded a free kick about 27 yards out, to the left of centre. It's a great chance. Hamouma is over it.
71 minHamouma curls it towards the far post, but it's easily caught by Laquait.
72 minBrilliant cross from Sabaly from the left. He puts in a teasing ball that forces Ghoulam to panic and put the ball behind for an Evian corner with Sougo lurking behind him.
72 minCambon gets his head to the corner, but he can't test Ruffier.
73 minSAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE: Max Gradel enters the fray, with Hamouma the man to head off.
76 minDangerous cross swung in by Sougou, but none of his teammates can get on the end of it. Evian really need to find their clinical edge if they are to get back on level terms.
78 minTabanou, who has been fairly lively for the hosts tonight, has another crack at goal coming off that left flank, but this one glides wide of the far post.
80 minSAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE: Brandao is the final man on the home bench to get a run out, replacing Mevlut Erding.
82 minCHANCE! And the substitute could have wrapped up this match with his first action of the match. Brandao brings the ball down well just inside the left edge of the box, but then blazes the ball off target.
84 minSAVE! Superb stop from Ruffier, and that could be crucial. Barbosa's cross from the left bounces beyond a number of Saint-Etienne defends, but Sougou gets on the end of it as he slides in at the far post. He powerfully puts his shot on target, but Ruffier makes a terrific sprawling stop to keep the hosts ahead.
85 minThis is still anyone's game as we enter the final minutes of the match. It's tight at the moment.
87 minIf Saint-Etienne hold on to this, they will owe Ruffier a huge pat on the back for that last save.
89 minEvian are really going for it here, but the pitch is still taking its toll. Wass tries a volley on goal but pings it well high and wide.
90 minThere will be three minutes of added time.
90+1 minGradel has a pop from way out on the right for Saint-Etienne, but it swirls wide of the far post and was never troubling Jaquait.
90+3 minFULL TIME: Saint-Etienne 1-0 Evian TG
9.42pmWell that's it. Evian were far better in the second half, but ultimately paid the price for a mistake in the first half that allowed Romain Hamouma to score the winner for Saint-Etienne.
9.46pmThat's it from me, I hope you enjoyed the game. Until next time, it's goodbye.
