Serie A: Bottom side Parma beat Palermo

Antonio Nocerino scored a first-half penalty to hand bottom-side Parma a 1-0 home triumph over Palermo on Sunday and keep their faint hopes of remaining in Serie A alive.

The Italian midfielder converted the spot-kick in the 22nd minute after Palermo's Massimo Gobbi brought down Andrea Rispoli in the area.

Parma were the better side at the Ennio Tardini stadium, with Palermo mustering just three shots on goal.

Parma's sixth win of the campaign has left the Ducale club 15 points adrift of safety with six games remaining.

Palermo remained in 11th place.

The visitors went into the contest after wins in their previous two games against Udinese and Genoa, triumphs that all but assured the Sicilian outfit of Serie A football next season.

The hosts played with a sense of urgency from the start and in the ninth minute, Abdelkader Ghezzal got behind Massimo Coda's pass and struck a right-footed shot that was kept out by Palermo goalkeeper Samir Ujkani.

Parma were unlucky not to go in front in the 21st minute when Coda's bullet strike hit the post with Ujkani rooted to the spot.

Their efforts paid off seconds later when Gobbi brought down Rispoli.

Nocerino struck the spot-kick towards the bottom right corner of goal and out of Ujkani's reach.

Coda almost doubled Parma's lead three minutes later but his right-footed shot towards the near post was kept out by Ujkani.

Palermo's first chance of the game was in the 36th minute.

Franco Vazquez's pass found Achraf Lazaar in the box but his left-footed attempt was saved by Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.

Before the interval, close-range attempts from Ivaylo Chochev and Franco Vazquez's went wide.

Parma frustrated Palermo's advances early in the second half but the Sicilians almost pulled level in the 66th minute.

Vazquez fed Andrea Belotti in the box and his left-footed attempt towards the far post was kept out by Mirante.

Five minutes later and Parma nearly doubled their lead but Ujkani denied Cristobal Jorquera from close range.

Palermo had their best chance of pulling level four minutes from time when Andrea Belotti set up Dybala in the six-yard box.

The Argentinian forward struck a central effort that was kept out by Mirante.