Clermont extended their unbeaten home streak to 53 games on Saturday with a 36-18 victory over 2011 French rugby championship finalists Montpellier.

Victory saw the 2010 champions consolidate second place in the Top 14 table, three points behind Toulon, who are at home to Racing-Metro on Sunday.

Clermont had been on the back foot early on when Argentinian prop Maximiliano Bustos charged over to touch down after a fine pass by France five-eighth Francois Trinh-Duc had created the opening – it was converted to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.

However, Clermont hit back as a superb inside pass by Australian No.10 Brock James sent Wesley Fofana bursting through to score under the posts and Morgan Parra converted to level it.

Parra and Montpellier’s place kicker, Argentinian Martin Bustos Moyano, swapped penalties to keep the sides all square but a moment of magic by Fofana set up Clermont’s second try.

The France centre took the ball outside the Montpellier 22 then breezed past halfback Julien Tomas before offloading to fullback Jean-Marcellin Butin who scored in the corner a converted try to make it 17-10.

Clermont were reduced to 14 men shortly before the break when veteran Nathan Hines was sin-binned but the visitors were unable to take advantage and it was the hosts who extended their lead to 23-13 by the time the Australia-born former Scottish international returned to the fray.

Parra made it 26-13 in the 54th minute leaving Montpellier head coach Fabien Galthie staring pensively at the ground – his frown deepened as the metronomic Parra converted another penalty for 29-13.

The visitors had fallen apart and their woes were compounded when Charles Geli was yellow-carded with 12 minutes remaining.

Clermont were shortly afterwards awarded a penalty try which Parra converted to take his points tally to 19 for the match with the visitors replying with a nicely worked try by replacement Benoit Paillaugue in the dying minutes.