Bari 1-0 Chievo

Bari ended a run of four successive defeats with a win against Chievo which eases their immediate relegation fears.

The Galletti were riding high in the Serie A table a few weeks ago but their recent wobble had seen them slip to 13th, just nine points above the drop zone.

But they can now start to look upwards once more thanks to Jose Ignacio Castillo's 20th-minute winner. The hosts also missed a late penalty when substitute Massimo Donati saw his spot-kick saved by Stefano Sorrentino.

The outcome means Bari have now pulled level on points with their vanquished opponents.

Castillo could have opened his account for the afternoon inside the first minute but, having found a yard of space on the edge of the area, skewed his shot wide of target.

Chievo came closer four minutes later following a swift counter attack.

Luca Ariatti escaped down the left and picked out Sergio Pellissier with his cross. Pellissier turned and shot immediately but Bari keeper Jean Francois Gillet produced a fine block to deflect the ball away for a corner.

Bari survived and took the lead from their next serious attack.

Riccardo Allegretti played the ball into Castillo's feet and the Argentinian turned his man with a lovely piece of skill before slotting a low shot beyond Sorrentino.

Bari ought to have added a second three minutes later but Paulo Vito Barreto fluffed his lines.

Allegretti pinched the ball from Simone Bentivoglio and played in Barreto but he failed to control the ball when well placed.

Bentivoglio almost made amends seven minutes before the break with a free-kick which was deflected narrowly wide of the target.

Bari finished the half on the front foot and wasted another opportunity to add to their lead just before the interval.

Allegretti won a free-kick on the edge of the area but from an inviting position he could only lash his effort high and wide.

The momentum changed at the start of the second period with Bari forced backwards as Chievo poured forward in search of an equaliser.

But despite dominating possession in midfield, and winning several corners, the visitors failed to test Gillet.

Slowly Bari began to regain a foothold in the game and it almost resulted in a second goal after 72 minutes.

Sergio Almiron picked out Riccardo Meggiorini, who had timed his run beyond the last man with precision, but the substitute was denied by a wonderful reflex save by the advancing Sorrentino.

Bari came close again seven minutes later, Sorrentino excelling once more with a low stop to keep out an Allegretti effort after good work from Edgar Alvarez.

The Chievo threat petered out as the match wore on and Bari should have given the scoreline a more emphatic look in injury time.

Meggiorini was felled by Nicolas Frey in the area but Sorrentino produced a fabulous save from Donati's spot-kick, tipping the former Celtic man's penalty over the bar.