The result sees the Rossoneri consolidate fourth position with a four-point advantage over Palermo.

Spectators at the Del Duca Stadium were treated to a thrilling encounter with six goals scored in the opening half.

Alberto Gilardino opened the scoring after three minutes for Milan before Kaka doubled their lead midway through the first half from the penalty spot.

Gilardino added his second shortly after, but Ascoli refused to lie down and Luigi Di Biagio brought them back into the game on the half-hour mark also from the spot.

Kaka restored the visitors' three-goal cushion after 35 minutes before Stefano Guperti again reduced the arrears six minutes later.

But Ascoli's hopes were crushed once and for all when Clarence Seedorf made it 5-2 with 15 minutes remaining.

The result leaves Ascoli with an uphill battle to avoid the drop with the club nine points from safety.

Milan could not have asked for a better start, with Gilardino breaking the deadlock with three minutes played.

A beautiful assist from Ronaldo served an unmarked Gilardino inside the area, and his volley stunned Ascoli goalkeeper Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos.

The hosts tried to react to the blow but it was the Rossoneri who looked more dangerous.

Kaka almost doubled the lead shortly after, with his close-range effort forcing Eleftheropoulos to stretch fully to palm away.

Stefano Lombardi then warmed the hands of Milan keeper Zeljko Kalac with a powerful free-kick in what was Ascoli's first chance.

Kalac replaced the injured Dida, who sustained a shoulder injury in last weekend's clash with Messina.

Midway through the first-half, Kaka coolly struck from the penalty spot after Eleftheropoulos had brought down Ronaldo inside the area.

Nedo Sonetti's men had little time to react before Milan scored again shortly after.

Gilardino latched onto Marek Jankulovski's cross from the left and headed past Eleftheropoulos to make it 3-0.

Ascoli were given a glimmer of hope after the referee pointed to the spot with Stefano Guberti being brought down by Kalac inside the box.

Di Biagio then beat the Milan keeper with ease to reduce the deficit.

However, the goal failed to inspire the Bianconeri, who conceded their fourth soon after with Kaka's 30-yard bullet strike.

Ascoli refused to give up however and struck again four minutes before the break.

A cross-shot by Guberti towards the far post caught Kalac off guard to make it 4-2.

Ascoli picked up where they left off after the restart and were unlucky to have a goal disallowed after 50 minutes with Michele Paolucci fouling Daniele Bonera inside the area before firing into the back of the net.

And the hosts missed a golden chance shortly after the hour mark with Giampietro Perrulli's dangerous cross failing to find a team-mate inside the box.

It proved costly as Seedorf made it 5-2 with 15 minutes remaining after getting on to a Andrea Pirlo assist to fire past Eleftheropoulos.