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Saint-Etienne and France striker Bafetimbi Gomis has praised boss Alain Perrin for helping them come from behind to beat Caen.

Gomis scored in his team's 3-2 turnaround which put the 17th-placed side four points clear of the drop zone.

"Caen had lots of first-half chances, particularly through Steve Savidan," Gomis said. "But he couldn't get past Jeremie Janot, who was immense.

"We were getting bossed around (Saints were 1-0 down at the break) but the boss had some strong words and it made the difference. He helped us believe in ourselves, to understand that we should never give up. We came out with an entirely different attitude."

The win put the Saints level on points with 15th-placed Caen, although the southern club have a game in hand in a very tight bottom half. Only four points separate 10th and 17th places.

"You have to win matches like these, at this stage of the season," Gomis added. "It was a good game for us and especially given our situation. Now we are level with Caen and if we continue like this we could rise further.

"Scoring a goal is irrelevant, all that matters is that the team won. If the team win, I am happy. Of course, I'm pleased when I score, but the road is still long."

Reda Maher / Eurosport