Bari 1 : 2 Chievo - Chievo ease away

Posted Sunday, March 20, 2011 by PA

Chievo eased their Serie A relegation fears with a 2-1 triumph at bottom side Bari.

Sergio Pellissier opened the scoring for the visitors in the 38th minute but Bari got back on level terms with a penalty from Abdelkader Ghezzal late in the first half.

Davide Moscardelli put the Verona side back in front for good soon after the restart.

Chievo had not scored in their previous three league games and had mustered just two points in their last six matches heading into today's encounter.

The result has left Bari rooted at the bottom of the table, 12 points adrift of safety.

Chievo, meanwhile, have climbed seven points clear of the bottom three.

Bari could have taken a sixth-minute lead but Sergio Almiron's 30-yard shot on target was saved by Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

Chievo had the first chance on the half-hour mark with Moscardelli's header from Mariano Bogliacino's cross just going wide of the far post. Moscardelli came even closer five minutes later when he latched on to Kevin Constant's pass and fired on target only to be denied by Bari goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet.

In the 43rd minute, Chievo broke the deadlock.

Bari failed to clear a ball inside the area and Pellissier fired from the heart of the area past Gillet.

It did not take Bari long to equalise however as the referee pointed to the spot after Gelson Fernandes fouled Simone Bentivoglio inside the area.

Ghezzal struck the penalty into the top-left corner and out of the reach of Sorrentino.

Chievo went back in front four minutes into the second half.

Moscardelli intercepted a bad pass from Almiron and surged inside the area before hitting the ball into the back of the net.

Bari twice had excellent chances to equalise.

In the 52nd minute, Gergely Rudolf struck the ball wide from eight yards after being fed by Bentivoglio.

With 18 minutes remaining, Ghezzal's powerful header from Bentivoglio's cross went over the crossbar. With seconds remaining, the pressure told on Chievo coach Stefano Pioli as he was sent off for dissent.