Siena took full advantage of playing for almost 90 minutes with an extra man by beating Palermo 4-1 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday.
Federico Balzaretti was sent off after only a minute of the game and, although Igor Budan gave the Rosaneri the lead in the 12th minute, Siena soon turned things around to comfortably win a one-sided game.
Claudio Terzi brought them level from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute before goals from Erjon Bogdani, Luca Rossettini and Franco Brienza sealed all three points for the Tuscans, who maintain their two-point cushion over the relegation zone.
Palermo could not have imagined a worse start to the game as they lost Balzaretti to a red card with less than two minutes on the clock.
He was given his marching orders for fouling Mattia Destro and denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Minutes later, Destro forced a fine save out of Emiliano Viviano as Siena looked to take advantage of their extra man immediately.
Things got even worse for Palermo when Mattia Silvestre was forced to leave the field with an injury in the 11th minute, but it was the visitors who went in front in the 12th minute through Budan.
Fabrizio Miccoli sent in a corner from the right and Budan rose to head in past Gianluca Pegolo.
Siena levelled thanks to a rather generous penalty for a foul on Brienza. Terzi stepped up to beat Viviano at the second attempt after being ordered to re-take his initial spot kick.
A wave of yellow cards suggested that Balzaretti would not be the only man having an early bath while Siena went ahead in the 33rd minute.
Destro raced clear down the left and sent his cross to the far post, where Bogdani slid in to beat Viviano.
Siena extended their lead just two minutes into the second half with Rossettini left totally alone at the far post to knock in Brienza's free-kick.
The fourth goal was inevitable as Palermo's defence fell to pieces, and it came in the 58th minute through Brienza.
He this time went the direct route from a free-kick, curling the ball around the wall and into the side of the goal left unguarded by Viviano.
Siena wasted numerous chances to further punish Palermo, who almost grabbed a second goal in the 72nd minute when Pegolo made a fine instinctive save to deny Budan's close-range header.
