BKN301 Championship: play-off race heats up with eight teams separated by five points

Tre Fiori are back to winning ways, drawing level with La Fiorita in third place and adding further drama to the play-off race. Their 2-0 victory over Folgore also drags Lepri’s side fully into the battle to avoid the bottom four places. Despite sitting seventh, the Giallorossoneri have only a five-point cushion over the first team outside the play-off spots and – compared to most of the sides above them – have played one game more. Today’s clash with Tre Fiori will not be remembered for its entertainment value, even if Tall’s opener was of real quality – the forward broke the deadlock on 14 minutes, finishing from a Tommaso Bernardi assist. His namesake Marco, on the Folgore side, came within a whisker of equalising on the hour mark, shaking off his marker at the far post and meeting Sartori’s corner with a left-footed effort. The crossbar came to Semprini’s rescue, and Mami then let him off the hook by missing the tap-in. The Gialloblù were already down to ten men after Savino’s dismissal on 51 minutes, but still had little to fear until the 89th minute, when Tall struck again to double the lead and wrap up the contest. The press on Sottile was deemed legal, allowing the striker to dispossess the last defender, round the goalkeeper and put the game to bed. By the same scoreline, Faetano claimed a deserved and highly valuable win over Pennarossa. Simone Benedettini was busy from the very first minutes, pulling off a superb save on 8 minutes to deny Ferrario what would have been a spectacular goal – an overhead kick from the edge of the box. At the other end, Porcellini was quick off his line to thwart Stefanelli, who then tried his luck with a header on 39 minutes. It was Faetano, however, who looked the better side and came close through Pini and Mema before the end of a goalless first half. After the break it was only Pennarossa’s crossbar that was shaken, despite Alessandro Conti being the first to threaten. The Gialloblù rehearsed the breakthrough with two chances for Pini before finally breaking the deadlock on 66 minutes through Terenzi: the San Marino winger reacted quickest to a low cross from Pini, inadvertently flicked on by Vittori. A left-footed finish from close range put Faetano in front. Pennarossa were called on to respond but were wasteful with the chances that fell to Stefanelli and Battiata. In stoppage time Composto squandered a golden chance to make it 2-0, failing to convert after being set up by Mema. That came only after a Mantovani free-kick from the edge of the box had flashed just wide in the 90th+4 minute. Seconds later, Pini won the ball back in midfield and released Mema, who cut inside onto his right and guided the ball into the far corner past Benedettini to seal a victory that lifts Faetano level with Fiorentino and Murata on 20 points. Still not enough for a play-off berth, which currently sits two points further ahead. That is where we currently find Pennarossa, as well as Juvenes-Dogana and San Giovanni, who faced each other this afternoon in Acquaviva. It was a delicate encounter, approached in the right way by both sides. Benedetti tested De Angelis early on, while at the other end De Biagi beat Gentilini with an outside-of-the-boot effort, only for his right-footed strike to come back off the post. It always felt as though either team could score at any moment, but the interval arrived with the score still 0-0. That was also thanks to the extraordinary reflex save by De Angelis on Benedetti exactly on the half-hour mark. From the continuation of that move, Juvenes-Dogana appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on. Amati’s men created three more chances through Stella, while almost gifting a goal at 43 minutes when an ill-judged charge out from Gentilini nearly allowed Nicola Sartini to roll the ball into an empty net. After the restart Juvenes-Dogana found what proved to be the winner with their first meaningful foray, born from a moment of inspiration by Merli – who had come on in the second half. His pass for Stella was perfectly weighted, and the forward held off his marker before turning in the box to coolly beat De Angelis. San Giovanni replied with left-footed attempts from Nicola Sartini and Bruma, both drawing fine saves from Gentilini. The best opportunity, however, fell to the left foot of Kevin Lisi, who did well to bring the ball down on his chest between two defenders but rushed his finish and missed the target in front of Gentilini. It is a crucial win for Juvenes-Dogana, who in one fell swoop draw level with both Pennarossa and San Giovanni. This is the picture after the 24th matchday of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese:

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