Brazil striker Alexandre Pato ensured AC Milan continued their resurgence with victory at Reggina.
The 19-year-old scored the winner with less than 20 minutes remaining after Bernado Corradi, Reggina's only goalscorer in the league so far, had equalized Marco Borriello's opener for Milan.
The victory, Milan's second in succession in Serie A, relieves some of the pressure on coach Carlo Ancelotti and comes on the back of a 4-1 win over Lazio at the weekend.
Ancelotti again left Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko on the bench with Borriello and Pato leading the line.
But Italy international Gennaro Gattuso did return in the center of Milan's midfield to partner Mathieu Flamini after recovering from a hand injury.
Kaka's early warning shot from 30 yards went wide but it signaled that Milan were determined to put their poor early season form behind them.
Reggina retaliated a few minutes later when Carlos Carmona unleashed a stinging free-kick from the edge of the area after Flamini had fouled Luca Vigiani but Milan keeper Christian Abbiati saved well.
Borriello repaid his manager's faith in him by opening the scoring after 24 minutes with his first league goal of the season.
Clarence Seedorf's free-kick found Borriello in the area and he headed past goalkeeper Andrea Campagnolo.
The Italy forward almost doubled Milan's advantage a few minutes later but this time the on-rushing Campagnolo saved.
Reggina could have drawn level but defender Daniele Bonera made a crucial intervention to deny Corradi a clear run on goal.
Emil Hallfredsson tried to take Abbiati by surprise with a long-range effort just before half-time but Abbiati punched the ball away with both fists.
Shevchenko made an appearance from the bench for Milan midway through the second half, replacing the injured Borriello, but the Ukrainian could only watch on as his side conceded an equalizer.
Corradi used his strength to hold off Kakha Kaladze before calmly slotting the ball past Abbiati in the Milan goal.
It was Corradi's second goal of the season since his move from Manchester City in the summer.
With Ronaldinho confined to the bench for the whole game and Shevchenko failing to make an impact, it was teenager Pato who put Milan back on track midway through the second-half.
Kaka set off down the right before pulling the ball across to his fellow Brazilian and he fired past Campagnolo with a first-time shot.
Reggina, who remain second-bottom in Serie A, had a late chance to rescue a point but substitute Fabio Ceravolo saw his effort pushed wide by Abbiati.
Seedorf could have secured the points in injury-time after a driving run by Kaka, who enjoyed a fine night for the Rossoneri, but the former Dutch international's shot skipped across the face of the goal.
The visitors, though, held on for a vital three points and a welcome boost before their city derby against Internazionale at the weekend.
