Bari 0 - 1 Cagliari

Bari 0-1 Cagliari

Updated: September 23, 2009, 10:58 PM UK

Cagliari strolled to their first win of the season against an unimpressive Bari side, whose home fans had not witnessed defeat since the beginning of April.

The hosts only seemed to come alive in the last 13 minutes following the goal from substitute Nene and it was too little too late to avoid them slipping to their first Serie A loss.

Giampiero Ventura's side will now know just how quickly fortunes can turn around in the top flight after seeing themselves fall out the top half of the table, although they can take some comfort from the fact that giants AC Milan are but a point above them.

Cagliari were looking to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat and the Islanders, who had not scored a goal from open play, almost got off to the perfect start.

Alessandro Matri raced down the left flank before crossing for Jeda whose weak header was comfortably collected by Bari goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet.

Seconds later, with Gillet's view blocked by Matri, Andrea Lazzari enjoyed a good chance but Edgar Alvarez was alert in defence and swiftly cleared the danger.

The visitors went even closer in the 12th minute as Andrea Cossu's 30-yard screamer whistled past the post.

And Cagliari were equally as composed in defence as they showed shortly before the half-hour mark when Michele Canini pulled off a perfectly-timed sliding tackle to prevent Emanuel Rivas from racing through one on one with goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.

Rivas managed to unleash a stunning shot minutes later, from 35 yards, which Marchetti did well to block.

And the Cagliari goalkeeper did even better six minutes from half time to keep out Alvarez's hot from the edge of the area.

Cagliari came into their own in the second half and should have taken the lead 10 minutes after the restart as Jeda played in Lazzari, but his effort just grazed the post.

The midfielder did even better on the hour mark as he unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the area only to be denied by a brilliant save by Gillet.

Bari enjoyed a rare opportunity in the 69th minute but Marchetti was alert to the danger and did well to keep out Riccardo Meggiorini's effort.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 77th minute when Andrea Ranocchia failed to clear Jeda's cross and Nene, who had only come off the bench four minutes earlier, blasted home from close range for his first goal in Serie A.

That seemed to shock Bari into action and they upped the pressure.

The hosts almost snatched a stoppage-time equaliser but Marchetti pulled off a fantastic save as he kept out a free-kick which had taken a wicked deflection off Ranocchia.