Bari 1 : 1 Fiorentina - Ghezzal snatches point for Bari

Substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal fired a late equaliser for rock-bottom Bari as a 1-1 draw denied Fiorentina a second away win of the Serie A season.

Alberto Gilardino's 21st-minute strike had looked to have put La Viola on course for three points at the Stadio San Nicola but Ghezzal - a 73rd-minute replacement for Jaime Romero - levelled three minutes from time.

The result left Bari 12 points adrift of fourth-bottom Lecce, while Fiorentina stayed 12th.

The visitors could have gone ahead as early as the 12th minute but Adem Ljajic drilled a left-footed shot wide from 12 yards following fine work by Adrian Mutu.

Their opener arrived nine minutes later when Gilardino found space in the Bari box and despatched a low shot past Jean-Francois Gillet.

Mutu lashed wide in the 34th minute as Fiorentina looked to double their advantage, while at the other end Romero curled a free-kick just over the bar with Artur Boruc beaten as the tide began to turn.

The hosts continued to hunt for the equaliser after the interval after the break, Alessandro Gazzi shooting wide from 25 yards and then Boruc's clearance hitting Bari substitute Massimo Donati and smashing against the visitors' bar.

Romero blasted over the bar, Gazzi saw his cross-shot tipped over by Boruc and Alessandro Parisi was also denied by the Polish stopper.

However, Boruc was eventually beaten in the 87th minute, Ghezzal firing into the bottom-right corner from a tight angle.

Bari could even have won it in stoppage time, but Boruc stood tall to keep out Gazzi's left-footed effort.