The Black and Whites have found home comforts hard to find this season, collecting only four points on their own turf heading into this clash and faced a resurgent Brest side on a three-match winning streak in all competitions.
However, Esteban Lepaul dismantled the pre-match narrative by firing Alexandre Dujeux’s side in front with a brilliant sweeping first-time finish from a Carlens Arcus cross.
Lepaul had the ball in the back again inside the opening 20 minutes, but was denied by the assistant’s flag.
Eric Roy’s side were struggling to gain any sort of momentum in a lacklustre first-half showing, but rallied as half-time approached. Abdallah Sima’s diving header missed the target before Kenny Lala’s searching set-piece fell to Abdoulaye Ndiaye, who miscued his effort from deep inside the box.
Lepaul should have doubled Angers’ lead moments later, shooting wide from close range after Brendan Chardonnet failed to clear Jean-Eudes Aholou’s ball into the box.
Quality was in short supply after the break, with the pattern of the game perfectly suiting Angers in their attempts to grind out three potentially crucial points.
The Pirates continued to look blunt in attack, with Ludovic Ajorque harmlessly heading wide from a set-piece. The hosts did not show much intent to add to their first-half tally either, with neither side registering a second-half shot on target heading into the final 20 minutes.
Ibrahima Niane rubber-stamped what was only a second home league win of the season when he turned home Raolisoa’s cross, confirmed after a lengthy VAR check.
Dujeux’s men moved up to 14th in the table and a point clear of Nantes in the relegation playoff place. Meanwhile, Brest slipped down a place to 12th, with last season’s third-place finish seeming like a distant memory.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Esteban Lepaul (Angers)