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Alessandro Matri and Daniele Conti snatched a desperately needed stoppage-time victory despite the heroics of Napoli's second choice goalkeeper Matteo Gianello, going from 1-0 down to 2-1 up in three minutes!
Bottom of the table Cagliari were coming off seven consecutive defeats and sliding towards Serie B, unable to turn the corner even after Davide Ballardini became their third Coach of the campaign. The main problems were upfront, scoring just five goals all season at the Sant'Elia, so the fans were looking to January signing Jeda. Napoli were comfortably in 10th place, but their Coppa Italia exit caused tension around Edy Reja, a tactician who took Cagliari to promotion in 2003-04.
Daniele Conti and Joaquin Larrivey's bans expired, but Manuele Blasi was suspended, Gennaro Iezzo, Mirko Savini and Maurizio Domizzi injured for the visitors. Reja too sat in the stands to make way for assistant Fabio Viviani.
Robert Acquafresca was booked early on for simulating a penalty contact with Paolo Cannavaro, while at the other end Marek Hamsik's ball over the top was volleyed on to the side-netting by Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Larrivey wasted a golden opportunity by scuffing his shot from a promising position, then later on he combined with Hamsik for the European to test Marco Storari at the near post.
Napoli lost Andrea Cupi to injury midway through the first half, but took the lead with a splendid team move on 57 minutes. Lavezzi sent Mariano Bogliacino down the left channel and he cut back across for Hamsik's tap-in at the back post. It was his third goal in two games.
Gianello smothered a Pasquale Foggia overhead kick, but Cagliari felt they were denied a clear penalty for Marcelo Zalayeta's handling offence on 70 minutes.
Fini's screamer dipped mercilessly on to the crossbar and ricocheted out off the back of goalkeeper Gianello.
It was turning into a siege in the closing minutes with Man of the Match Gianello performing heroics. First he kept out an Alessandro Matri header, then he tipped another Foggia attempt on to the crossbar.
The pressure paid off deep into stoppages with Matri snatching a deserved point. Gianello had kept out Jeda's strike, but could do nothing on Matri's follow-up from five yards.
It still wasn't over, as Cagliari got their first win since September with Daniele Conti flicking on a free kick with the back of his head to send the Stadio Sant'Elia completely wild.
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