Cordoba breaks Reggina hearts with last gasp Inter winner

Colombia centre-back Ivan Cordoba scored an injury time winner to send Inter Milan top with a 3-2 win at rock bottom Reggina on Saturday.

It was hard luck on the hosts who had battled back from 2-0 down after 24 minutes and looked to be heading for a vital point in their relegation struggle.

But Inter avoided a third consecutive draw and will be top for a day at least, while the champions’ players will probably have avoided the worst of a tongue lashing from coach Jose Mourinho for giving away their early advantage.

Having not scored in their previous two games Inter came out with a clear intent to end that run and Portugal winger Ricardo Quaresma crashed a shot off the post on just six minutes after a mistake from Bruno Cirillo.

But the champions didn’t have to wait long to open the scoring as Zlatan Ibrahimovic fed full-back Maicon, who was charging into the area, and the Brazilian’s shot beat Andrea Campagnolo and hit the roof of the net on nine minutes.

It was all Inter in the opening quarter of the game and France midfielder Patrick Vieira doubled the visitors’ advantage on 24 minutes as he finished off good work from Ibrahimovic and Quaresma, slipping the ball between Campagnolo’s legs.

But the basement sitters showed that they had no intention of lying down to die when captain Francesco Cozza fired home via a slight deflection from the edge of the box 11 minutes before the break.

Franco Brienza was then narrowly wide with a free-kick before Ibrahimovic had an effort ruled out for offside.

Despite Inter’s bright start the hosts had actually had more of the game in the first half and they continued in that vein at the start of the second period as Brienza thrashed home a crisp strike from the edge of the box on 53 minutes.

Three minutes later and Mario Balotelli failed to get hold of his shot from eight yards allowing Campagnolo to make a comfortable save.

Ibrahimovic should have restored Inter’s advantage on 66 minutes when Campagnolo came for and missed Balotelli’s deep cross but the Sweden striker put his header from five yards into the side-netting.

It was end to end stuff at times and Campagnolo saved from Balotelli while Ibrahimovic and Quaresma both fired wide for Inter.

Up the other end Cristian Chivu took the ball off Davide Di Gennaro’s toe just as the Reggina substitute was about to pull the trigger from eight yards out.

Inter sub Hernan Crespo then clipped the outside of the post with a close-range header from Quaresma’s cross as a winner began to look increasingly likely.

Di Gennaro came close again as his overhit cross just sailed past the corner of post and crossbar.

But Cordoba was luckily in the right place at the right time to prod home the late winner from a corner.