The visitors looked to be on course for a routine victory which would have guaranteed European football next season after they went two up with Giampaolo Pazzini scoring a first half penalty and Alessandro Gamberini adding a second goal just before the hour mark.

But there was a sting in the tail as Christian Rigano made amends for an earlier penalty miss by grabbing two late goals, one from the spot, to help the Sicilians salvage some pride in their penultimate game in Serie A and do their island rivals Palermo a huge favour in the process.

The result means Fiorentina slip a place to sixth, one point ahead of Empoli and level with fifth-placed Palermo, who leap-frogged both sides after beating Siena.

Fiorentina can take solace in the fact that Empoli who also surrendered a lead - three goals in their case - to draw against struggling Reggina in the race for the final UEFA Cup spot.

Despite their spirited fightback, Messina stay second bottom on 26 points.

The away side went ahead on 25 minutes when Messina's Manolo Pestrin brought down Martin Jorgensen in the box as the experienced Danish international midfielder looked to skip past him and Italy's latest striking sensation Pazzini calmly stroked home the penalty.

The home side were handed a way back into the game five minutes later when Viola defender Alessandro Gamberini bundled Rigano to the ground as they battled to reach a cross from the right by Edgar Alvarez and the referee again pointed to the spot.

But Fiorentina stopper Sebastian Frey showed why he is one of the most sought after goalkeepers in Europe by saving Rigano's firmly but centrally struck penalty.

And Cesare Prandelli's side made their opponents pay for the miss when their doubled the lead in the 58th minute.

Messina keeper Gabriele Paoletti failed to hold Jorgensen's half-volley and defender Gamberini was the quickest to react and fired home the loose ball.

Fiorentina almost made it three on 61 minutes when Riccardo Montolivo rattled a post with a superb long-range effort with the outside of his foot and Ferreira Reginaldo following up sent the rebound over the bar when well-placed.

But with his team seemingly dead and buried, veteran striker Rigano netted a quickfire brace to keep Fiorentina's European dreams on ice.

He halved the deficit on 82 minutes, heading home from a corner, and equalised by notching up his 19th goal of the season from the penalty spot two minutes from time after Czech international defender Tomas Ujfalusi had been penalised for a deliberate handball.