Livorno's season of struggle continues as they let slip a 1-0 lead to lose to Palermo at the Stadio Armando Picchi.

The hosts went in front through Tomas Danilevicius' goal nine minutes into the second half but the Rosaneri hit back quickly through Fabrizio Miccoli and Federico Balzaretti snatched the winner nine minutes from time.

Vittorio Russo's Livorno team have now gone eight Serie A games without a win from the start of the season and they are now two points behind Siena at the bottom of the table.

For Walter Zenga's Palermo, it was a first away win of the campaign and a second successive victory after they beat Juventus prior to the international break.

Livorno had the game's first chance after 20 minutes when Mirko Pieri's cross was headed goalwards by Nico Pulzetti but Palermo goalkeeper Rubinho saved.

Miccoli wasted Palermo's first chance, miscuing a shot wide when through on Livorno goalkeeper Alfonso de Lucia.

Miccoli was proving the main danger and his back-heel flick had to be smartly cleared by the Amaranto defence following good work from Fabio Simplicio and Jacopo Pastore for the visitors.

Livorno's dreadful season took another miserable turn when Nelson Rivas appeared to be knocked unconscious after falling awkwardly, and he had to be taken to hospital with Antonio Candreva coming on in his place.

Pastore produced some more good work down the wing for Palermo and his inviting cross on the stroke of half-time deserved to be converted, but no-one was on hand to apply the vital touch.

Romano Perticone had to be alert at the back for Livorno to head away from danger as Edinson Cavani tried to get on the end of Mattia Cassani's long ball.

The goal Russo and his team had craved - only their second of the season - finally arrived in the 54th minute as Pulzetti's cross-cum-shot caused confusion in the Palermo defence and Lithuanian forward Danilevicius tapped in from close range.

Two minutes later though the Livorno bubble burst as Simplicio presented Miccoli with a chance and he cleverly lobbed the ball over De Lucia.

The hosts should have restored their lead with 17 minutes to go as Pulzetti's shot was parried by Rubinho into the path of substitute Candreva, who fired the rebound over the crossbar.

Danilevicius then thought he had his and his side's second when he fired home in the 79th minute but the effort was correctly disallowed for offside.

Two minutes later the decisive goal came, and it went Palermo's way.

Cassani crossed the ball to Balzaretti, who did not even break stride before unleashing a first-time shot past De Lucia.