Genoa kept up their unlikely push for a Champions League spot with a narrow win at out-of-form Napoli.
Bosko Jankovic latched onto a Thiago Motta pass to score the only goal of the game midway through the second half.
The result would have been enough to lift Genoa into the top four had Fiorentina not claimed a last-minute winner against Chievo.
As it was they had to be content with fifth, one point behind the Viola but nine ahead of their opponents, whose early-season form has melted away.
This was the Partenopei's seventh match without a win, but this afternoon's match started promisingly as they claimed the better of what early chances there were in a scrappy first half.
German Denis fired a free-kick from the left channel narrowly over after eight minutes, while at the other end Napoli goalkeeper Nicolas Gaston Navarro was called into action 10 minutes later.
The Argentinian raced off his line to deny Diego Milito after Luigi Vitale lost the ball to Giandomenico Mesto close to his own goal.
Two minutes later a Napoli attack, spearheaded by Denis, caused havoc among the Genoa defense who managed to clear after a scramble.
With nearly half an hour on the clock Genoa were awarded a free-kick but Salvatore Bocchetti's free-kick was too high.
Four minutes before the break, the dangerous Denis found space on the right and crossed towards Ivan Lavezzi.
Matteo Ferrari and goalkeeper Rubinho failed to clear, but Lavezzi could only find the side netting.
There was even less to write home about at the start of the second half, with neither side creating any chances of note.
So it was somewhat out of the blue when Jankovic snatched a goal for Genoa.
Motta played a through ball, which Jankovic swept into the bottom corner to hand the Rossoblu a barely-deserved lead.
As the closing moments played out the home fans became increasingly frustrated, although they were at least spared seeing their side go two down thanks to Gaston Navarro, who pulled off an excellent block from Jankovic's goalbound header.
At the other end, Walter Gargano's bungled shot drew the ire of the crowd, while Rubinho read the danger to deny Andrea Russotto as he awaited a knockdown.
Deep into stoppage time, Napoli's Marek Hamsik tried a long-range effort, but could not find the target.
It was typical of the afternoon and again caused frustration among the Napoli fans, who showered whistles upon their team as the full-time whistle finally blew.
