Cagliari boss Marco Giampaolo, with his club safe from relegation, had left several key players at home and gave some youth team prospects a chance for the last Serie A match to be played at the Stadio Del Duca for the foreseeable future.

One of them, Marco Mancosu, opened the scoring for the visitors from Sardinia but Andrea Soncin quickly equalised for Ascoli.

Michele Paolucci scored a late winner for the relegated club and both teams ended the game with 10 men as Ascoli's Stefano Lombardi and Cagliari's Jose Vitor Semedo were dismissed.

Cagliari started well and after five minutes should have scored when Daniele Conti released Simone Pepe who was brought down by Ascoli goalkeeper Dimitrios Eleftheropoulous.

Referee Roland Herberg pointed to the spot and Pepe volunteered for the role usually performed by David Suazo, one of the players left out by Giampaolo.

Pepe's penalty was well saved by Eleftheropoulos whose form has been one of few bright spots for Ascoli fans this year.

Unperturbed by that setback, the Sardinians continued to press forward and after 14 minutes they took the lead.

The Ascoli defence looked static as youngster Mancosu crowned his day with a header that was beyond the reach of Eleftheropoulos.

Ascoli did not take long to haul themselves level, achieving parity in the 17th minute.

Soncin was the scorer with a shot from the edge of the box that rocketed past a gawping Antonio Chimenti.

The hosts from Italy's Le Marche region were enjoying their farewell to Serie A and nearly went ahead five minutes before the break.

Paolucci headed the ball goalwards but this time Chimenti did not settle for a spectator's role as he blocked the close-range effort.

After the break it was the hosts that had the better of the skirmishes.

Paolo Zanetti tried his luck with a header that forced a save from the youthful Simone Aresti who had come on for Chimenti.

Cagliari could have retaken the lead when Davide Marchini crossed for another member of the boy's brigade, Roberto Puddu.

But Gaetano Vastola was alert and managed to snaffle the ball away from the youngster.

What would prove the decisive moment of the game came 12 minutes from time.

Soncin surged down the left and his shot rebounded to Paolucci who blasted home on the half volley.

The season was soon over although it ended a few seconds early for Semedo and Lombardi who were shown the way to the dressing room after picking up second cautions.

Ascoli's win was somewhat futile and only the fifth of a dire campaign although it did ensure they climbed above Messina who end the season on the bottom of the division.

Cagliari, meanwhile, look already to be preparing for a considerable change in personnel.