Catania second after Siena draw

Catania missed the chance to go top of Serie A, for 24 hours at least, as they drew 1-1 at Siena on Saturday.

In truth the Sicilians were lucky to escape with a point in a game the hosts dominated throughout.

Siena took a deserved lead on 75 minutes when Emanuele Calaio ghosted between two defenders and headed home a deep cross from Cristiano Del Grosso.

But just five minutes later Siena were stung on the counter-attack as Michele Paolucci broke from the halfway line before being brought down by Gianluca Curci after he had rounded the goalkeeper.

Giuseppe Mascara made no mistake from the spot, sending Curci the wrong way.

Siena will feel hard done by though after dominating throughout. Catania goalkeeper Albano Bizarri twice denied former Middlesbrough forward Massimo Maccarone before the break, the second time acrobatically tipping a chip over his bar.

After the interval Frenchman Abdel Kader Ghezzal waltzed through the Catania backline but shot straight at Bizarri.

The keeper denied Ghezzal again and saved an effort from Moroccan midfielder Houssine Kharja as Siena pushed for an opener.

The hosts seemed to have snatched victory with Calaio’s strike but Catania equalised with a rare foray into Siena territory and move up to second in the Serie A table, behind champions Inter Milan.