Novara came within inches of snatching a last-gasp win over Lecce but had to settle for a goalless draw that leaves both teams in deep relegation trouble.
With four minutes of stoppage time having already been played, Novara made one last push and substitute Takayuki Morimoto almost covered himself in glory only to see his left-footed effort crash against the crossbar.
A goal then would have earned Novara a third successive Serie A victory following triumphs over Udinese and Siena, but the ball stayed out and both they and Lecce remain well adrift of safety.
Lecce are in 18th spot, five points behind 17th-placed Parma, while Novara are three points worse off in 19th.
With confidence boosted by their back-to-back victories, Attilio Tesser's Novara looked the only side capable of making a breakthrough before half-time.
However, visiting keeper Massimiliano Benassi kept out two efforts from Marco Rigoni and another from Giuseppe Mascara while Simone Pesce and Mascara both tried their luck without hitting the target for the hosts.
Lecce had produced nothing to worry the Novara defence before the interval, but they were more adventurous in the second period and Juan Cuadrado and Luis Muriel both fired wide before David Di Michele's left-footed effort was plucked out of the top corner by home custodian Samir Ujkani.
Lecce continued to push with Cuadrado and Daniele Corvia firing in shots in the final nine minutes, although neither troubled Ujkani.
With time running out, Novara regrouped and staged a late bid for victory themselves and they twice came close in stoppage time.
The first incident saw Benassi keep out Andrea Caracciolo's 93rd-minute shot, but 60 seconds later Novara looked to have snatched a vital win only for Morimoto's effort from six yards out strike the woodwork.
