Hellas Verona have ended a run of three successive defeats by beating Sassuolo 2-1 in their Serie A match at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore.

Luca Toni came close to opening the scoring in the first five minutes, but placed an effort from the edge of the box wide of the post.

© Getty Images

Juan Iturbe and Emil Hallfredsson tried their luck for the visitors soon after, but their respective efforts failed to hit the target.

Bosko Jankovic was next to threaten for Verona, but his long-range effort went narrowly wide.

With game approaching half time, Toni wasted another opportunity to find the net as he fired a strike just past the post.

Five minutes after the break, Verona took the lead when Thomas Manfredini turned Hallfredsson's cross into his own net.

Toni scored a second for the visitors with three minutes of the game left to play when he latched onto a ball over the top and chipped an effort past the on-rushing keeper.

Antonio Floro Flores found the net for the home side in the final minute, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation, as Verona held on to the win and moved up to fifth place in the table.