Priestland hit the target with just seconds remaining to ensure the momentum the Scarlets had built in the Heineken Cup over the past fortnight didn’t go entirely to waste in Italy.
Having stunned English giants Harlequins in South West London and then shared the spoils with big-spending French side Racing Metro in Llanelli last Saturday, the Scarlets headed to Parma full of confidence but they had to work hard to ensure they didn’t become Zebre’s first victims on Italian soil.
Priestland came on as a  second-half replacement to strike two crucial kicks and prevent the league’s newest outfit from backing up October’s maiden win at Cardiff Blues.
The Scarlets led after just four minutes thanks to Steven Shingler’s first penalty but they were never in front again after Gonzalo Garcia crossed for the game’s opening try after a quarter of an hour.
The Italian international finished off a fine team move, with his pace taking him clear of the covering Scarlets defence.
Tommaso Iannone made amends for an earlier missed penalty by adding the conversion and he stretched his side’s advantage to 10-3 when he kicked a penalty midway through the first half.
But the Scarlets hit back after 28 minutes as scrum-half Gareth Davies capitalised on turnover ball to dart over for the visitors. Shingler added the straightforward extras to make it 10 points apiece and it stayed that way until the half-time interval.
Things were just as even after the break, although neither team were able to add to their try tally.
The scoreboard wasn’t troubled until 26 minutes into the second period when Iannone made it 13-10 but Prisetland had the Scarlets all square again with seven minutes remaining.
Substitute Luciano Orquera looked to have won it for Zebre with less than three minutes left to play but Priestland ignored the boos from the crowd after the hosts had been penalised for holding on to ensure Simon Easterby’s side headed home with a share of the spoils.
