Catania 3 : 2 Lecce - Lodi fires Catania to victory

Posted Sunday, February 13, 2011 by PA

Francesco Lodi fired a late brace to lift Catania to their first win of 2011 in an enthralling Serie A encounter against fellow strugglers Lecce.

Both sides came into this game precariously perched above the relegation zone but at the final whistle it was the hosts celebrating a first win since December 19 as they triumphed 3-2.

Matias Silvestre put Catania into the lead on the stroke of half-time but Lecce, who saw a five-match unbeaten run come to an end with defeat to Palermo last time out, responded with strikes by Jeda and Gianni Munari early in the second period.

Half-time substitute Lodi hauled Catania level on 79 minutes, however, and with the clock ticking down popped up with his second of the afternoon to seal the three points.

Lecce's misery was compounded in injury time when Guillermo Giacomazzi received a red card following an angry confrontation with referee Andrea Romeo.

Both sides showed little in the way of attacking threat for much of the opening period. Catania's first chance fell to Ciro Capuano on 12 minutes but his drilled effort was well saved by Antonio Rosati.

Lecce's best chance of the opening 45 fell to Carlos Grossmuller but Mariano Andujar saved well with his feet.

But the hosts made the breakthrough deep into stoppage time at the end of the half, Cristian Llama's free-kick into the area met by the head of Silvestre who guided the ball beyond Rosati from close range.

The visitors were level within 11 minutes of the restart, however, Munari delivering a pinpoint cross from the right and Jeda was on hand to nod home.

And five minutes later the fightback was complete when Ruben Oliveira saw his shot from the edge of the area crash against the frame of the Catania goal and Munari was on hand to lap up the rebound.

Giuseppe Vives almost added a third for Lecce two minutes later when his shot from just inside the area hit the post.

It was a let-off from which Catania would go on to profit in full.

First, Lodi popped up to curl home a brilliant left-footed free-kick from 20 yards to pull the sides level, and then with just five minutes left the 26-year-old midfielder produced a carbon-copy strike to seal three vital points in his side's fight to beat the drop.