3/26/2006
Sporting Life

Messina and Udinese had to settle for a point apiece in a match between two teams desperate to avoid relegation.

Arturo Di Napoli opened the scoring for the Sicilians before Christian Obodo hit back for the northerners.

Neither side could find a winner in the second half and Messina remain in the bottom three while Udinese are one point and one place better off after an alarming slump in form since the turn of the year.

It was the first match for new Udinese coach Giovanni Galeone who had replaced the coaching tandem of Loris Dominissini and Nestor Sensini who had seen the club's fortunes decline further since succeeding the sacked Serse Cosmi earlier this year.

The northerners created a good chance after 15 minutes when Vincenzo Iaquinta set up Sulley Muntari who shot quickly to the right but Messina goalkeeper Marco Storari made the save.

However, the visitors were rocked after 31 minutes when Messina took the lead with Di Napoli finishing off a great team move from close range.

Udinese immediately tried to hit back and two minutes later Obodo forged an opening for Antonio Di Natale whose shot from close range forced Storari to make an impressive diving save.

It was Obodo who would conjure up the equaliser when he tried his luck with a powerful right-footed shot from distance which found the net.

Storari made another save to keep out a shot from Di Natale as Udinese staged a strong finish to the first half to the delight of Galeone who is traditionally a salvage merchant given the task of reviving relegation-threatened teams.

Udinese started the season full of optimism with the Champions League offering them a glamorous trip to the Nou Camp to play Spanish champions Barcelona among other assignments.

However, as they came out for the second period all that concerned the club was a win that would boost their fight against relegation.

They created another opening after 54 minutes with Di Natale again in the thick of the action but Storari made another crucial save in the Messina goal.

However, it was the Sicilians who had the better of the later exchanges as they looked for a win that would help them climb out of the bottom three at Udinese's expense.

Di Napoli had the chance to get on the scoresheet again after 64 minutes when he fired just wide and then it was the turn of Alessandro Parisi to be wayward with a shot that drifted wide to the left.

There was one more chance for Messina to seal the points.

Di Napoli tried his luck with a free-kick but Morgan De Sanctis made a great diving save which proved enough to keep his side out of the bottom three.

Both clubs have seven games left to save themselves from the drop.