LORD Derby Cup winners St Estève-XIII Catalan were brought down to earth by Pia, losing 13-6 on their own ground in a vital qualification match.

Watched by almost 3,000 fans, Pia are now poised to snatch third place from the Catalans. After scoring two decisive tries in the first 18 minutes, Les Baroudeurs ground out a crucial win.

Hakim Miloudi’s offload led to centre Alain Baby’s try, followed by Amine Miloudi’s pass for winger Ilias Bergal to touch down for a 10-0 lead.

Giovanni Descalzi reduced the deficit for the Dragons’ second team before Amine Miloudi’s field-goal ensured there was no coming back for the home side.

Beaten cup finalists Albi stayed top after giving a more fluent display in overcoming fifth-placed Limoux 28-20, dominating the game more than the score suggests.

After Corentin Le Cam had gone over and Tony Gigot kicked the conversion and a penalty-goal, Limoux winger Elie Sastre dived over wide out from Maxime Puech’s dropped ball.

Against the run of play, Limoux then took the lead when Zac Santo exchanged passes with Quentin Crunel to go under the posts, Matis Dall’Asta converting.

The 10-8 lead lasted just three minutes as young Albi hooker Thibault Corrèges made a 30-metre break and found fullback Maxime Rostang in support to go in 14-10 at half-time.

Albi went further ahead at the start of the second period when Romain Franco squeezed over before Rostang’s well-timed pass found Adrien Saliès, Gigot then adding a penalty-goal to go 22-10 up.

Albi were well in control but were taken by surprise when Dall’Asta took a tap penalty to himself and raced 40 metres to score and convert.

Rostang, from dummy-half, responded with an opportunist try before in the final minute Crunel went over wide out.

Carcassonne, who meet Albi this Saturday in the match which will decide who finishes top of the league, inflicted more pain on Toulouse, who, after losing by 60 points two weeks ago to Albi, suffered the same fate at the hands of the Canaries.

Morgan Escaré posted four tries, while Thomas Malfaz, Enzo Arnaud and Germain Rigaud each claimed two in the 60-0 victory.

Villeneuve, who only have one match left to play, have secured the sixth and last play-off spot after hammering their main rivals Villefranche 48-6.

Seventh-placed Villefranche, injury-hit, could find few answers to the Leopards’ attacks. Villeneuve fullback Jack Aiken scored a try just before half-time for a 26-0 lead and then bagged two more early in the second half.

Villeneuve ended with nine tries, their opponents’ only reply being a Jordan Kempnich score from prop Paul Sangaré’s drive.

The eighth and ninth-placed teams, St Gaudens and Lézignan, with not much more than pride to play for, fought out a closely-contested game with both teams locked 10-10 at half-time before the home side emerged 20-17 winners.

Results
Albi 28 Limoux 20
St Estève-XIII Catalan 6 Pia 13
St Gaudens 20 Lézignan 17
Toulouse 0 Carcassonne 60
Villeneuve 48 Villefranche 6
Bye: Avignon

Fixtures
Saturday 19 April
Albi v Carcassonne
Lézignan v Avignon
Limoux v St Gaudens
Sunday 20 April
Pia v Toulouse
Villefranche v St Estève-XIII Catalan
Bye: Villeneuve

Table
Albi 45 pts
Carcassonne 44 pts
St Estève-XIII Catalan 39 pts
Limoux 37 pts
Pia 36 pts
Villeneuve 36 pts
Villefranche 30 pts
St Gaudens 28 pts
Lézignan 25 pts
Avignon 23 pts
Toulouse 4 pts