Fiorentina beat Atalanta to keep on C.League trail

Alberto Gilardino scored a winner a minute from time to boost Fiorentina’s Champions League qualification hopes following a 2-1 success at 10-man Atalanta on Sunday.

The victory moved La Viola above Genoa into fourth place and the final qualifying position for Europe’s premier competition.

However Genoa can retake the position later on Sunday when they travel to rock bottom Reggina.

Fiorentina deserved the victory for their second half pressure but the dismissal of Federico Peluso on 57 minutes proved not only harsh but also decisive.

Until then the hosts were leading 1-0 through substitute Gianvinto Plasmati’s deflected strike four minutes into the second period.

But that all changed just before the hour mark when Peluso tripped Gilardino in the box as the former AC Milan striker was bearing down on goal with only goalkeeper Andrea Consigli to beat.

The referee deemed Peluso to be the last man and showed him the red card with Montenegro midfielder Stevan Jovetic slotting home the penalty despite a touch from Consigli.

Fiorentina continued to toil looking for a winner until the last minute when Gilardino got in front of his man at the near post to flick home Swiss midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic’s right wing cross from close range.

It was Kuzmanovic who had the best chance of the first half, grazing the outside of the post.

Marino Defendi then nearly gave Atalanta the lead on 34 minutes but he sent his powerful 12-yard header from Gyorgy Ganics’s cross wide of the upright.

In first half stoppage time Fiorentina’s French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey got down low to tip Valdes’s shot around the post.

But in the second period he could do nothing about the deflection that looped Plasmati’s shot over his head and in.

Gilardino then proved too quick for Peluso whose reckless challenge resulted in both a penalty and the sending off that changed everything.

It gave the visitors the opportunity to pile on the pressure until finally Gilardino struck late on.