Lecce boosts relegation survival bid

Lecce boosts relegation survival bid

Published Feb. 19, 2012 11:16 a.m. ET

Lecce boosted their hopes of avoiding the drop by coming from behind to narrow the deficit on fellow strugglers Siena with a 4-1 win at the Stadio Via del Mare.

Cristiano Del Grosso put Siena in front in the 25th minute, but Luis Muriel levelled shortly after.

A 68th-minute penalty from Davide Di Michele and Juan Cuadrado's individual effort then put the home side in command at 3-1.

Lecce lost Manuele Blasi to a red card in the final minute, but it proved no setback for the hosts as they still managed to add a fourth goal through Davide Brivio with the last kick of the game.

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Siena, who started the game five points clear of third-bottom Lecce, made the better start with Luca Rossettini's shot deflected over the crossbar in the 12th minute.

Nine minutes later, they should have had a penalty when Reginaldo was fouled inside the area by Moris Carrozzieri, but the referee instead thought the Siena striker was play-acting and showed him the yellow card.

The visitors then took a deserved lead when Del Grosso was picked out in space at the far post by Angelo and the Siena full-back scored his first ever goal in Serie A with a well-placed volley.

Muriel led Lecce's recovery with a warning shot from 20 yards which Gianluca Pegolo pushed wide of his post.

From the corner, the ball fell to Muriel who had a simple tap-in from two yards out to bring the home team level.

Emanuele Calaio attempted to give Siena the lead again in the 54th minute, but his shot was saved and the rebound was cleared by Carrozzieri just ahead of Reginaldo.

Lecce's danger man Muriel then earned a penalty as he cut in from the right and beat three defenders on his way into the area before being fouled by Alessandro Gazzi.

Di Michele stepped up to send Pegolo the wrong way from the spot and put Lecce in front.

Siena almost levelled in the 80th minute when a low cross from Angelo was cut out by Massimiliano Benassi with Giorgi waiting just behind him for a tap-in.

Lecce sealed the win two minutes later.

With Siena committing men forward, the home team hit them on the counter-attack with Cuadrado running over 60 yards from deep in his own half and still showing the composure, after beating the last Siena defender, to chip the ball over Pegolo and into the net.

A red card for Blasi, who lost his temper and kicked an opponent, took a bit of gloss off the win for Lecce, but Brivio gave the game a positive ending for the Apulians with an unstoppable free-kick just before the whistle.

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