Palermo end travel sickness

Posted Sunday, February 06, 2011 by PA

Palermo claimed their first away Serie A win since November as they twice came from behind to beat Lecce 4-2 at the Via del Mare.

The hosts led first through Guillermo Giacomazzi and then Jeda, but Palermo levelled when Fabrizio Miccoli struck in first half stoppage time and again through Javier Pastore's 57th-minute strike.

That was the first of three in five minutes for Palermo, who pulled away with strikes from substitutes Abel Hernandez and Josip Ilicic.

It was just a fourth away win of the season for Palermo as they put themselves firmly in the battle for a Champions League place.

It was all Palermo - and in particular Miccoli - at the start of the first half.

First the former Italy international rounded three Lecce defenders and played in Pastore, who fired wide, then his corner was headed off target by Giulio Migliaccio.

At the other end, Gianni Munari brilliantly set up Giacomazzi, whose effort drew a superb stop from Salvatore Sirigu.

But it was second time lucky after 17 minutes when the Uruguayan turned in compatriot Ruben Oliveira's free-kick.

Four minutes later Pajtim Kasami had an equaliser chalked off for offside, but it was Lecce looking more dangerous as Djamel Mesbah drew a save from Sirigu, then Mattia Cassani almost turned Nenad Tomovic's cross into his own net.

Giacomazzi came closer still as he diverted Oliveira's cross against a post three minutes from the break, and Lecce were made to pay in first-half stoppage time as Miccoli found the top corner with a free-kick from the edge of the box.

Childhood Lecce fan Miccoli did not re-emerge for the second half, replaced by Hernandez, who saw his side fall behind for the second time six minutes after the restart when Jeda converted from close range after some hesitant Palermo defending.

The lead lasted six minutes, before Ilicic set up Pastore to finish from six yards - and that sparked a Lecce capitulation.

Hernandez cut through the home defence then fired low to give his side a scarcely deserved lead three minutes later, then Pastore returned the favour for Ilicic, who sealed the points for Palermo.