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Serie A

Catania fought back to claim a draw in the Sicilian derby at Palermo but will perhaps feel the three points went begging.

Giulio Migliaccio fired the hosts into an early lead but second-bottom Catania levelled through Jorge Andres Martinez in the second period.

Late pressure from Gianluca Atzori's visitors failed to bring the goal which could have sealed Catania's first away win of the season, meaning the Elefanti are three points from safety after 13 games.

The point will do little to lift the gloom surrounding Palermo coach Walter Zenga, who was given a vote of confidence by club president Maurizio Zamparini prior to the game following a disappointing string of results.

The hosts began well enough, though, and were ahead inside four minutes.

Fabrizio Miccoli created the chance, his free-kick giving way to a scramble in the area which the visitors failed to clear and Migliaccio was on hand to lash home.

Javier Pastore went close for the hosts when he fired wide on 13 minutes before Miccoli saw a driven effort deflected onto the bar via a remarkable Mariano Andujar save.

With four minutes of the half remaining, a neat passage of play between Edison Cavani, Fabio Simplicio and Mattia Cassani ended with the former pulling the trigger from just inside the area but his effort sailed just wide.

Having offered little in the way of attacking threat in the opening 45, Catania rang the changes at the interval with Martinez and Ciro Capuano entering the fray, and they immediately looked an improved unit.

The leveller arrived 10 minutes into the second period when home goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu failed to clear the ball to safety after saving from Takayuki Morimoto, and Martinez was on hand to smuggle the ball over the line from six yards.

A moment of creativity by Giuseppe Mascara almost put Catania ahead with 10 minutes to go as he spied Sirigu off his line, but the forward's attempted chip was misjudged and the ball sailed harmlessly over for a goal kick.

There was only going to be one winner in the final stages as Catania had emphatically won the midfield battle following the half-time changes made by Atzori, but when the chance arrived to snatch all the points luck was not on their side.

A free-kick was swung over dangerously into the Palermo area and ran through to Martinez, who found the back of the net only to see the effort chalked off by the referee, who adjudged Nicolas Spolli to be offside and interfering with play in front of Sirigu.