Palermo 2-1 Cesena: Gonzalez gives Rosanero a lift

Date: 19th October 2014 at 5:01pm
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Palermo left it late, but did enough to edge out Cesena 2-1 at Stadio Renzo Barbera on Sunday afternoon.

Paulo Dybala put the hosts ahead, before Alejandro Rodriguez levelled from the spot, but a dramatic late winner from Giancarlo Gonzalez was enough to hand the Rosanero the points, and lift Giuseppe Iachini’s men from the foot of the table.

Palermo started the brighter of the two sides, with 20-year old Paulo Dybala looking dangerous from the first whistle. The Argentinian was unlucky to see his rasping free-kick smack the crossbar on 10 minutes, with Nicola Leali a spectator in the Cesena goal.

The Sicilians were dominating proceedings, and could have broken the deadlock on 28 minutes, but Francesco Bolzoni’s header sneaked just past the post after a cross from Ivalyo Chochev.

Palermo did take the lead five minutes later, however. That man Dybala picked the ball up on the right, and unleashed a curling left footed effort from the corner of the box which emphatically found the top corner. The strike marked Dybala’s second goal of the season, and Palermo look to have unearthed a real star in the young striker.

That effort was enough to send Palermo into the half-time break with a 1-0 lead, while Cesena were yet to register a single shot on target.

Cesena coach Pierpoalo Bisolo clearly had harsh words for his side at half-time, as the seahorses came out fighting in the second half. Substitute Alejandro Rodriguez forced Sorrentino into a smart save in the 59th minute, and the equaliser would come as a result of the subsequent corner.

A deep cross was headed comfortably for the gloves of Sorrentino, but Hordur Magnusson went down after a push from Sinisa Andjelkovic, and Antonio Damato pointed to the spot. Up stepped Rodriguez, and he confidently sent Sorrentino the wrong way to bring his side level.

The equaliser seemed to reawaken Palermo, and the Rosanero began to flood forward in search of a winner. Franco Vasquez saw his left-footed shot rebound off the post on 64 minutes, and Giancarlo Gonzalez should have done better with a header 10 minutes later, hitting the ball straight at Bardi.

Cesena’s Manuel Coppola then added to the pressure on his side, being shown a second yellow card with 15 minutes remaining. Palermo flooded forward, sending a number of crosses and the winner would arrive following one such attempt.

Michel Morganella’s cross was blocked by the Cesena defence, but not at the expense of a corner. Dybala took the set-piece, and his outswinging cross found the head of Gonzalez whose downward header found the net and handed Palermo a vital three points.

 

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