Udinese substitute Fabio Quagliarella's acrobatic equaliser denied Catania a second away win of the season.

Quagliarella scored just four minutes after coming off the bench midway through the second half to cancel out Giuseppe Mascara's long-range opener.

Indeed, all three Udinese replacements - Antonio Di Natale and Gaetano D'Agostino came on at half-time - helped turn the game, with the hosts unlucky not to be rewarded with three points for their late pressure.

Both sides have little left to play for this season, comfortably clear of the bottom three but well adrift of the European places.

It was the home side, though, who looked the brighter after Pablo Ledesma had sent a shot wide early on for their opponents.

Defender Ciro Capuano had to be alert to clear when Christian Obodo broke into the area, while Antonio Floro Flores headed the resulting corner over the bar.

Catania keeper Albano Bizzarri then came out to claim Simone Pepe's free-kick and the striker also had an effort deflected behind after he collected a high ball.

But it was Catania who went ahead against the run of play in the 25th minute, and in some style.

Mascara unleashed a rocket from 35 yards which flew past Udinese stopper Emanuele Belardi and into the net.

Udinese continued to press and defender Maurizio Domizzi headed just wide from around the penalty spot, while Alexis Sanchez failed to get a good connection on his shot from the edge of the area.

The hosts made a double change at the break, bringing on Di Natale and D'Agostino for Pepe and Obodo and the newcomers wasted little time making their presence felt.

Di Natale fired over the bar from long range before D'Agostino forced a brilliant save from Bizzarri with a free-kick which took a deflection off the hand of Floro Flores.

Udinese boss Pasquale Marino made his final change in the 67th minute, with Quagliarella replacing Sanchez, and it proved an inspired one.

The Italy international had only been on the pitch for four minutes when connected acrobatically with Bizzarri's clearance following a D'Agostino free-kick to divert the ball home.

At the other end Jorge Martinez broke into the area only to fluff his lines when he came to shoot, sending the ball over the bar.

But Quagliarella almost added a second for Udinese with seven minutes remaining when he met Aleksandar Lukovic's cross, but headed just wide.

Udinese certainly looked the most likely to snatch the points late on and Floro Flores headed Di Natale's cross, which Bizzarri had failed to cut out, against a post.

In stoppage time Di Natale lobbed the ball just wide after Gokhan Inler's poor shot turned into a good pass for the frontman, but the hosts could not complete the comeback.