Cagliari save after success

Cagliari ensured they will be competing in Serie A again next season with a 1-0 victory over Parma.

Cagliari ensured they will be competing in Serie A again next season with a 1-0 victory over Parma. Coach Ivo Pulga had stressed before the match that they were still not safe despite having an eight-point cushion, but there is now no way they can be caught by any of the bottom three. The only goal of the game came via a 34th-minute penalty from Mauricio Pinilla, while Parma's Felipe was sent off for violent conduct eight minutes after the break. Parma, whose European hopes were badly hit by the defeat, dominated the chances, with Antonio Cassano seeing an early effort deflected just wide. But it was Cagliari who scored the only goal, Pinilla striking his penalty decisively beyond the reach of Antonio Mirante after Alessandro Lucarelli had fouled Daniele Dessena. Parma fought hard for an equaliser but were being restricted to shots from distance and both Mattia Cassani and Walter Gargano fired off target. The second half began in the same vein as Raffaelle Palladino drove a shot just wide of the left post. Parma's hopes of getting themselves back into the game were hit in the 53rd minute when Felipe struck Luca Rossettini and was shown a straight red card. Cagliari responded with chances of their own but Sebastian Eriksson twice shot off target. Parma thought they had levelled 13 minutes from time as Amauri found himself in front of goal but Marco Silvestri pulled off a superb save to deny him. Amauri was the key man but he just could not find the breakthrough, heading over the bar and then shooting just wide of the post, while Silvestri denied Afriyie Acquah.