Valenciennes coach Ariel Jacobs has said that his players must remain grounded following last night's 2-1 win at AS Monaco.

Les Atheniens closed the gap on Montpellier HSC to two points with victory at Stade Louis II, but they will stay in the bottom three of Ligue 1 over the winter break.

"It's an exploit and we played our joker tonight," Ligue1.com quotes Jacobs as saying. "The fact our defenders [Lindsay] Rose and [Benjamin] Angoua plus four attackers were missing makes us savour the win all the more. We used the means at our disposal.

"Monaco played to our rhythm and that's what I was hoping for. We worked hard and played for each other and countered well. In the second half when they played long that played into our hands.

"I'm pleased to have finished off 2013 in such a way. After difficult times we've ended the year on a bright note. The three points were unexpected but we have to stay humble."

La Paillade can re-establish a five-point gap if they defeat Bastia this afternoon.