FLORENCE: Fiorentina honoured Edoardo Bove in perfect fashion on Thursday by defeating Inter Milan 3-0 in a match which was stopped in December for the midfielder`s on-pitch heart attack.

Raffaele Palladino`s team are now fourth in Serie A on 42 points, ahead of Lazio on goal difference, thanks to a deserved win over champions Inter earned thanks to a brilliant finish from Luca Ranieri and a Moise Kean double, all of which came in the second half.

Bove, who is still waiting to see if he will be granted permission to continue his fledgling playing career in Italy, watched from the bench as his team-mates delighted fans who two months ago watchedin horror as he collapsed early in the game and was then rushed to hospital.

The two teams reconvened on Thursday to play the rest of the match, with Inter having a chance to move level on points with league leaders Napoli.

But Fiorentina did Napoli a big favour with a superb performance which came even without five new winter transfer window signings who were not allowed to play.

`We pulled out a stratospheric performance tonight... we can celebrate because everyone was great, said Ranieri to Sky. `We should be ambitious, but let`s not get carried away, we need to keep playing like this and something good will comealong, I`m sure.

On Monday night Inter will have chance for revenge for a first league defeat since losing the Milan derby in September as they host Fiorentina at the San Siro.

`We just weren`t good enough, we were missing everything -effort, aggressivity and determination, said Inter coach Simone Inzaghi.

`We deserved to lose and you can only compliment Fiorentina who gave everything that we didn`t.

The game restarted at 0-0 in the 17th minute with a Fiorentina throwin. Fiorentina were under the cosh early on but the game remained goalless at the break.

Fiorentina took a deserved lead from a corner in the 59th minutewhen Ranieri arrived from outside the area, getting to the ball ahead of Davide Frattesi and hit his shot first time low into the corner.

There was little in the way of response from Inter, and Fiorentina doubled their lead nine minutes later.

Dodo crossed from the right and Kean pulled away from his marker before powering a header into the bottom corner, this time leaving Yann Sommer with no chance.

And Kean took his league tally this season to 15 when he pounced on a dreadful Federico Dimarco pass and rolled past the onrushing Sommer, sealing a perfect result on a bittersweet night for Fiorentina.

-Agencies