Parma gave their survival hopes a major boost after scoring four times in a blistering first-half display to see off the challenge of already-relegated Messina on Sunday.

Giuseppe Rossi twice, Zlatan Muslimovic and Andrea Gasbarroni all struck in an extraordinary 11 minute spell at the Stadio Ennio Tardini to lift Claudio Ranieri's side two points clear of the drop zone with two games of the season left.

Christian Rigano pulled one back for the visitors in the closing stages, but it could not take the gloss off a scintillating Parma performance.

A run that saw Claudio Ranieri's men take 16 points from a possible 21 looked to have all but ensured Parma's top-flight status but last weekend's 1-0 defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers Chievo has seen the club lose momentum.

However, there was no sign of that as they came bursting out of the blocks on Sunday.

They almost went ahead on 17 minutes when veteran centre-back Fernando Couto headed a corner against a post.

And they did take the lead six minutes later, on-loan striker Rossi bursting into the area before placing a shot across Messina goalkeeper Gabriele Paoletti and into the far corner.

The hosts doubled their lead in the 28th minute, Muslimovic creating some space for himself on the edge of the area and firing the ball past Paoletti and they made it three on the half hour when Rossi grabbed his second of the afternoon, taking Igor Budan's pass in his stride and slotting home.

Gasbarroni added a fourth for a rampant Parma three minutes later, sliding Muslimovic's low cross into an open goal to finish off a devastating counter-attack.

As Parma took their foot off the gas, a shellshocked Messina almost grabbed a goal of their own on 39 minutes when Robero D'Aversa forced a fine save from Luca Bucci.

But that was a rare moment of promise for the visitors as Parma began the second half as they had the first, substitute Daniele Paponi heading just wide of the post from a corner on 57 minutes.

With the home side content to run down the clock, Messina looked to salvage some pride from lost cause and Edgar Alvarez had a glorious chance to reduce the deficit with 13 minutes remaining, but blazed over an open goal.

Messina also saw their hopeful appeals for a penalty waved away after Rigano claimed he had been obstructed by Parma stopper Bucci.

The away side did grab a consolation in the 87th minute, Rigano nutmegging Bucci to score, but Parma were long since home and dry.

They can assure themselves of another season of Serie A football if they can get a win in either of their final two games - against Lazio or Empoli.