Cagliari 2 : 1 Genoa - Conti completes Cagliari comeback

Posted Sunday, January 13, 2013 by PA

Daniele Conti's late header completed a Cagliari comeback as a 2-1 win lifted them out of the Serie A relegation zone at the expense of Genoa.

Despite dominating the opening period the hosts, who had lost their past five matches, fell behind three minutes after half-time when Eros Pisano headed in a corner.

Marco Sau levelled almost immediately before Conti met Fernando Danilo Avelar`s pin-point 82nd-minute free-kick to ensure the home fans, who were allowed back into the Stadio Is Arenas for the first time in a month, went home happy.

Genoa's afternoon was soured further with the dismissal of Felipe Seymour with six minutes left.

Cagliari goalkeeper Valda Avramov made an early diving save from Marco Borriello's low shot but it was one-way traffic for the remainder of the first half.

The hosts failed to find the target often enough, however, as Albin Ekdal shot over before Avelar's clever lead-up play was wasted when Sau headed over at the far post.

Cagliari slowly started to get closer with Francesco Pisano's left-footer fizzing inches past the post before the lively Avelar skimmed the crossbar after connecting with a corner.

Genoa goalkeeper Sebastien Frey was finally tested on 36 minutes, but Conti's header was comfortable to leave the game level at half-time.

The frustration of Cagliari's profligacy was then highlighted on the scoreboard when Genoa struck almost immediately after the re-start.

Pisano left Avramov with no chance of making the save as he thumped in a header from the centre of the area.

Cagliari responded through Sau six minutes later when he raced into the area and, with no support, correctly opted to shoot as his effort flew past Frey and into the bottom-left corner.

From there the hosts looked the most likely winners but Sau twice passed up chances, the second after a mix-up with Viktor Ibarbo saw them fail to force in from close range.

The winner eventually came with eight minutes left as Conti headed Avelar's free-kick in at close range.

Genoa then saw substitute Seymour red carded for a professional foul on Ibarbo.