A French second division match ended with Valenciennes goalkeeper Jerome Prior bleeding from a wound on his cheek that his club said was caused by a bite from Sochaux midfielder Ousseynou Thioune.

"Jerome has a really big bite on his cheek, he was bleeding," said Valenciennes president Eddy Zdziech who told AFP he talked to the goalkeeper immediately after the goalless draw on Saturday.

At the end of the match, the two teams scuffled on the field. Television images show Thioune accosting Priori who recoils and pushes the Sochaux player away.

Valenciennes coach Olivier Guegan told the press conference: "Jerome Prior has a bite on the corner of his cheek."

The Sochaux coach Omar Daf defended his player.

"A player doesn't go crazy without something happening first," Daf told French media after the game. "I heard insults at the end of the match. There was a lot of provocation, but you have to have more control."

The draw left Sochaux third and Valenciennes eighth in the table.

Zdziech said the club planned a meeting on Sunday to discuss what they would do.

"This kind of behaviour is serious," Zdziech said."We really need to eradicate it, it has nothing to do with a football pitch. I trust the referees and the disciplinary committee to take the necessary decisions."

"We are going to defend our player," he said.