Ireland's Padraig Harrington takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the Italian Open after long-time leader Francisco Cea hit bad bunker trouble over the closing two holes on Saturday.

The pair played together and Harrington put the pressure on Cea by making up the two shots he lagged overnight to the Spaniard early on.

Cea never let the Irishman go past him, though, until crumbling at the end, finding two bunkers on the 17th and another on the last to bogey both the closing two holes.

Harrington's four-under-par 68 for 14-under-par 202, took him one better than Cea, who shot 71, and Scotland's Dean Robertson, who denied himself a share of the lead by three-putting the last for a 68.

Argentinian World Cup player Ricardo Gonzalez also carded a 68 to move up to fourth place on 204, without a bogey on the card.

Cea appeared to be shrugging off the attentions of his playing-partner when he threw in two birdies before the turn and at one time re-established a two-shot lead.

But the Irishman's far better back nine gave him his best chance of a second tour success since finishing tied second in last August's German Masters and fourth places this year in the Malaysian and Madeira Island Opens.

He is aware that he has to work hard for that second tour victory, however.

"Today was a bit scrappy, so a 68 was a good return and I'll have to play better to win," he said.

"Two bogeys in the last two holes by Francisco is reading too much into how he's playing, so I'm counting on nothing."

Cea was upset with himself at finishing badly but still believed he could edge out his friend Sergio Garcia, who he beat in the 1995 Spanish amateur championship, in the race to a first European Tour victory.

"It was just a couple of bad shots which put me behind," said Cea. "There's still everything to play for from only shot behind."

Severiano Ballesteros had his first blemish-free round for some time when a 69 left him sharing the 210 mark with U.S. Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, who posted 70.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, though, slid to 213 after a 73.