Marseille moved into fifth place and consolidated their charge for a Uefa Cup place with a 6-0 rout of Nancy.
Mamadou Niang got the hosts off to an excellent start with an 11th minute opener and doubled his side's lead in the 34th minute.
Toifilou Maoulida then took centre stage with two goals in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
With the win already wrapped up Mickael Pagis added insult to injury when he, too, netted a brace of goals in the 88th and 90th minutes.
L'OM's bid for the top six was aided by defeats for Auxerre and Lens, at Nantes and St Etienne respectively.
In a match that swung this way and that Dennis Oliech gave Nantes the lead in the sixth minute of a match the hosts went on to win 3-2.
Kanga Akale equalised on the hour mark and seven minutes later Thomas Kahlenburg's strike appeared to have put the visitors in the driving seat.
Mauro Cetto's leveller for Nantes just sixty seconds later proved pivotal, however, and Emerse Fae stole in to claim the winner five minutes from time.
St Etienne beat Lens 2-0 after being set up by Julien Sable's goal inside the first minute.
Frederic Piquionne doubled the lead and made sure of the points in the 37th minute.
At the bottom of the table Troyes got the better of ten-man Ajaccio in a relegation six-pointer courtesy of a resounding 3-0 win.
Carl Tourenne got the hosts' first in the 35th minute and Ibrahima Faye doubled the lead three minutes before the interval.
Ibrahima Bangoura's 62nd minute goal embellished the victory and midfielder Rodrigo Ramos was dismissed in the 76th minute for a second bookable offence.
The result leaves Metz all but relegated with nine points and a massively inferior goal difference now separating the bottom club and Troyes with three games of the season left to play.
Another potential relegation decider saw Sochaux draw 1-1 with Strasbourg.
After falling behind to Ilan's 80th minute goal, the visitors registered an even later strike through Pontus Farnerud three minutes from time.
A point may not prove enough for Strasbourg, however, with Troyes' victory meaning they are now seven points from safety.
Elsewhere, Le Mans drew 0-0 with Monaco.
Mamadou Niang got the hosts off to an excellent start with an 11th minute opener and doubled his side's lead in the 34th minute.
Toifilou Maoulida then took centre stage with two goals in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
With the win already wrapped up Mickael Pagis added insult to injury when he, too, netted a brace of goals in the 88th and 90th minutes.
L'OM's bid for the top six was aided by defeats for Auxerre and Lens, at Nantes and St Etienne respectively.
In a match that swung this way and that Dennis Oliech gave Nantes the lead in the sixth minute of a match the hosts went on to win 3-2.
Kanga Akale equalised on the hour mark and seven minutes later Thomas Kahlenburg's strike appeared to have put the visitors in the driving seat.
Mauro Cetto's leveller for Nantes just sixty seconds later proved pivotal, however, and Emerse Fae stole in to claim the winner five minutes from time.
St Etienne beat Lens 2-0 after being set up by Julien Sable's goal inside the first minute.
Frederic Piquionne doubled the lead and made sure of the points in the 37th minute.
At the bottom of the table Troyes got the better of ten-man Ajaccio in a relegation six-pointer courtesy of a resounding 3-0 win.
Carl Tourenne got the hosts' first in the 35th minute and Ibrahima Faye doubled the lead three minutes before the interval.
Ibrahima Bangoura's 62nd minute goal embellished the victory and midfielder Rodrigo Ramos was dismissed in the 76th minute for a second bookable offence.
The result leaves Metz all but relegated with nine points and a massively inferior goal difference now separating the bottom club and Troyes with three games of the season left to play.
Another potential relegation decider saw Sochaux draw 1-1 with Strasbourg.
After falling behind to Ilan's 80th minute goal, the visitors registered an even later strike through Pontus Farnerud three minutes from time.
A point may not prove enough for Strasbourg, however, with Troyes' victory meaning they are now seven points from safety.
Elsewhere, Le Mans drew 0-0 with Monaco.
