Udinese Calcio vs Reggina Calcio - Review and Highlights

UDINESE, November 16 ( Serie A )

A stunning strike by Franco Brienza gave Reggina Calcio their first away points of the season and lifted them off the foot of the Serie A table as high-flying Udinese Calcio fell to their first home defeat.

Brienza's strike on the hour mark was enough to see the visitors record only their second victory of the season.

Udinese's current poor run continued, though, and a third game without a win saw them slip to seventh in the standings, having led the division earlier in the campaign.

The Bianconeri's frustration was evident as coach Pasquale Marino was sent to the stands right at the end of the match for protesting too much.

This was the second meeting of the week between the pair after Udinese dumped Reggina out of the Coppa Italia on penalties on Wednesday and the visitors were out for revenge as they sought to improve their dire away record.

Simone Pepe tried his luck from distance in the ninth minute but his rasping 25-yard effort flew well wide.

Reggina had a good opportunity three minutes later after Mauricio Isla fouled Antonino Barilla, but Francesco Cozza's free-kick sailed narrowly wide.

Brienza went even closer in the 27th minute with another free-kick, picking himself up after Maurizio Domizzi's challenge to fire inches wide of the far post from the edge of the area.

In a dull first half with few opportunities, Reggina enjoyed the best chance on the half-hour mark when Barilla stormed into the area, but Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic did well to rush off his line and get down low to block his shot.

Pepe could have given the hosts the lead two minutes before the break with a fine free-kick which Reggina goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo did well to parry.

It was much of the same after the restart as both sides lacked creativity and neither carved out any clear opportunities.

The game only sparked into life on the hour mark when Reggina took a shock lead.

Cozza floated a lovely cross over to Brienza who showed brilliant technique to crash home a volley from just inside the area, although questions have to be asked about the Udinese defence who had left him unmarked.

The hosts were almost level just two minutes later but Antonio Floro Flores headed Gaetano D'Agostino's free-kick a whisker wide of the post.

Reggina went close to doubling their lead seconds later as Edgar Barreto's thunderbolt of a free-kick flew inches wide.

The game had livened up and the visitors again went close to a second when Luca Vigiani surged down the right flank before putting in a lovely cross which Barilla was just unable to connect with.

Udinese substitute Alexis Sanchez had been causing havoc in the Reggina defence and he almost set up an equaliser in the 75th minute, breaking down the right wing and crossing for Christian Obodo to head over.

Tempers began to fray towards the end and when the game was paused for several minutes as Reggina's Pablo Alvarez received treatment for cramp, Udinese players complained to the referee that the visitors' were persistently time-wasting.

And Marino was dismissed from the dugout in injury time for taking his protests too far in a bad-tempered end to the match.

Udinese Calcio vs Reggina Calcio - 0 : 1

0:1 - 60' Franco Brienza