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Two goals from Michele Paolucci in stoppages allowed Ascoli to overturn the result and possibly doom Messina Coach Bruno Giordano.
Every point is precious for the two sides battling to stay off the foot of the table and Messina were without a home win since October, while Ascoli had just one victory all season. Alessandro Parisi returned from suspension and the Sicilians fielded January signings Gabriele Paoletti, Vincent Candela, Roberto D'Aversa and Ibrahima Bakayoko.
Messina dominated from the opening seconds, threatening with Bakayoko and Mark Iuliano's header in the first couple of minutes. Penalty appeals for a Marco Zanchi handling offence were waved away.
Ex-Siena man Candela's lob was off target, but Arturo Di Napoli suffered a muscular problem, so Ivica Iliev moved upfront with Edgar Alvarez on the right.
Gianluca Pagliuca was at full stretch to parry Bakayoko's finish from a corner, but the referee pointed to the spot after 76 minutes. Gigi Di Biagio was judged to have brought down Iliev in a soft penalty that Parisi coolly converted despite Pagliuca picking the right corner.
A corner was not cleared effectively and Gaetano Fontana's volley was inches over the bar for Ascoli.
The visitors snatched a point in the final minute, as Paolucci rose for a glancing header on Perrulli's cross that whipped past Paoletti.
Astonishingly, Ascoli managed to turn the game around completely in the space of five minutes. After Di Biagio's dismissal for a brawl, Juventus-owned Paolucci again beat the Messina goalkeeper, left relatively unmarked to slide in Andrea Soncin's assist from six yards.
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