Parma overcame Palermo 1-0 at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in Serie A on Sunday afternoon.
After enduring a torrid season, Antonio Nocerino’s first half penalty gave the Gialloblu all three points over a Palermo side, whose season is in danger of petering out.
Palermo started the brighter and dominated the early possession but despite being bottom of Serie A it was Parma doing all the early pressing and they were unlucky not go ahead on 21 minutes when Massimo Coda’s shot struck the bar with Samir Ujkani beaten.
The breakthrough was to come two minutes later though when the home side were awarded a penalty after Massimo Gobbi’s run was halted in the area by Andrea Rispoli. Antonio Nocerino’s confidently slotted the ball home, despite Ujkani going the right way
Parma had their tails up now and Coda nearly added a second but his shot was too close to Ujkani.
Palermo finally sprung into life and nearly equalized when Ivaylo Chochev’s run was halted by a brilliant tackle from Pedro Mendes but the loose ball fell to Achraf Lazaar and his shot was brilliantly saved by the legs of Antonio Mirante in the home goal.
The side from Sicily could sniff an equalizer but a miraculous clearance off the line from, former Palermo loanee, Zouhair Feddal prevented Chochev again.
The last chance of the first half fell to Franco Vazquez who’s volley would have produced a contender for goal of the season, sadly for the Italian international it flew just inches wide with Mirante rooted to the spot.
The second half started with the visitors continuing to dominate but struggling to break down a resolute Parma and the Rosanero coach Beppe Iachini was forced to make an attacking change as he brought on Andrea Belotti for Francesco Bolzoni.
Belotti was into the action straight away as he got into himself into a goal scoring postion but Mirante smothered well.
Parma were still a threat on the break and Cristobal Jorquera’s shot was pushed out into the danger area by Ujkani but fortunately for the Serbian it was cleared away by the Palermo defense and then Ujkani had to be alert again to halt the efforts of the Parma substitute, Ishak Belfodil, after he had escaped the attentions of Sinisa Andelkovic.
It was the Algerian, Belfodil, who again had another chance but his low shot was inches wide.
Paulo Dybala had the last chance for Palermo but his free-kick hit the wall as their dreadful away form continues.
