Spezia defeated Crotone 2-1 at the Stadio Alberto Picco on Friday night in Serie B.
Goals from Osarimen Ebagua and Niccolo Gianetti put the Aquilotti 2-0 up but Crotone grabbed a consolation goal from Camillo Ciano.
The away side started on the upper hand as Raffaele Maiello saw his effort whistle past the post in the second minute.
The game was struggling to get any flow with either team threatening to mount attacks but none really materialising.
It took over half an hour for the next solid chance to arrive as Ernesto Torregrossa fired wide of the goal for the Rossoblu in the 33rd minute of the match.
Spezia took the initiative towards the end of the first half as Aniello Salzano’s effort on the counter-attack missed the target and then on-loan Fiorentina midfielder Marko Bakic had his shot saved by Leandro Chichizola.
Minutes later the pressure paid off as Ebagua netted for the Aquilotti to give them a 1-0 lead.
A few moments into the second half the home side doubled their lead through Giannetti to make the scoreline more comfortable.
The Rossoblu were applying pressure to try get back into the game and they duly did in the 77th minute through Ciano.
Minutes later the away side could have equalised when Mattia Sprocati got on the end of a pass but his rasping effort only rattled the crossbar.
Torregrossa had another chance before the end but he was thwarted by Chichizola and the game finished 2-1 to Spezia.
Crotone who are still in 20th position can feel hard done by tonight in a game which could have easily have ended in a draw but it was the home side who prevailed to move to within a point of the summit.
