Fiorentina maintained their pursuit of a first Serie A title in almost 50 years with a 3-1 win at Palermo.Paulo Sousa's Tuscans were largely grateful to Josip Ilicic, who returned to the Stadio Renzo Barbera to smash a brace past his previous employers.Alberto Gilardino also scored against his former paymasters to set up a nervy finish but Jakub Blaszczykowski made sure of the win with a third goal for Fiorentina in stoppage time.Fiorentina appeared fired up from the get-go and went close to opening the scoring through Nikola Kalinic in the 10th minute.Ilicic would make the breakthrough moments later, the Slovenian punishing his former club with a stylish finish at the near post after he had nutmegged Edoardo Goldaniga.La Viola kept pushing and Stefano Sorrentino did well to deny Matias Vecino when the Uruguayan let rip with a fearsome right-footed drive.Ilicic made it 2-0 before the break. Kalinic slipped a cute pass to his team-mate and Sorrentino was left stranded as he whipped the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area.Former Fiorentina striker Gilardino made it a contest with a goal for Palermo in the 77th minute. Franco Vazquez swung in a cross that the well-travelled veteran could not help but put away.It was a case of too little, too late for the Rosanero, however. A scruffy loss of possession in midfield allowed Borja Valero to pick out Blaszczykowski, who got the better of a stranded Sorrentino.