BKN301 Championship: Goals and entertainment in Virtus and Tre Fiori wins

There were nine goals in the two late fixtures of Matchday 25 in the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese. Virtus and Tre Fiori lived up to their billing as favourites, although the clashes in Montecchio and Fiorentino unfolded in very different ways to reach the same outcome. Virtus started on the front foot and had already hit the bar on 4 minutes with a curling left-footed effort from Tortori, following a double step-over to get away from Vitaioli. Murata replied with a huge double chance for Semprini, completely forgotten by the Neroverdi backline and first denied by Passaniti – decisive in the one-on-one – and then by Gori. Shortly afterwards, Virtus went ahead from the penalty spot, awarded for a handball by Vitaioli on Golinucci’s right-footed shot. Buonocunto was flawless from twelve yards, opting for a central strike to beat Gueye on 21 minutes. Once the deadlock was broken, the Neroverdi took control with growing conviction. Bizzotto’s side went close to doubling the lead through Sopranzi, Nodari and Ciacci, but then risked conceding an equaliser when Ura’s solo run ended with a shot that skimmed just over the angle of post and bar. The experience and quality of the front three then allowed Virtus to make it 2-0: on 38 minutes Buonocunto executed a set-piece move that picked out Angeli’s run behind the wall. The forward got there before Gega and slotted past Gueye from close range. After the break Virtus fully justified their lead, almost finding a third when Gori burst through the middle but was slightly off target after a one-two on the edge of the box with Angeli. Murata tried to cling to Ura, but it was not a fortunate day for the Bianconeri’s attacking forays. Passaniti shut him out on 65 minutes, and a few moments later did the same to Comuniello. Amid Murata’s best chances, Virtus struck again from a set piece: Sabato made it 3-0, glancing Buonocunto’s delivery inside the near post. Murata failed to pull one back on 80 minutes, when Gjorretaj won a penalty after a clumsy challenge by Passaniti. The Neroverde keeper himself guessed right on Gaiani’s angled effort and then saved Ferraro’s follow-up tap-in, preserving his clean sheet for the day. The final scoreline became 5-0 thanks to a late brace from Sorrentino, who showed great composure to finish off two assists from Contadini – like him introduced from the bench in the second half. Tre Fiori’s victory, by contrast, came after a balanced, goalless first half. Andy Selva’s men were often dangerous before the interval, but Fall lacked precision on a couple of occasions. At the other end Babboni attacked the space and won a bounce with Semprini, only to be denied by a desperate and decisive intervention from De Lucia. The first genuine save of the match was also by the Tre Fiori goalkeeper, who on 23 minutes showed sharp reflexes to keep out Ceccaroli’s powerful strike at his near post. Bernardi and Rastelli were just off target around the half-hour mark, while Tall saw a goal ruled out on 40 minutes for a foul on the keeper. Early in the second half the big chance fell to Domagnano, with Babboni shooting amid a scramble in the box but failing to find enough angle to beat Semprini. The match turned on a couple of incidents shortly afterwards – and, above all, on the introduction of Luigi Rizzo. From his cross on 51 minutes came the chaotic move that ended with Bernardi’s close-range finish. Three minutes later Domagnano were reduced to ten men after Parma was sent off, and almost immediately they conceded the second to De Lucia, set up by Rizzo. The third was scored by Tall, who showcased his athleticism by racing onto De Falco’s precise long ball, leaving his marker behind and beating Colonna with a delicate chip as the goalkeeper rushed out. Domagnano, however, refused to throw in the towel, risking further blows that remained only chances for Tre Fiori as they poured men forward. Colonna produced a miraculous save on Tall’s overhead kick, and Angelini was perfectly timed with his far-post run to turn Ceccaroli’s driven cross-shot into a 3-1 scoreline on 74 minutes. Five minutes later Tall struck the bar with a delightful lob and, in the continuation of the move, Ciccione had what would have been the fourth ruled out for an alleged push on an opponent. With the teams stretched, Gjurchinoski and Ciccione again became very dangerous, while Rizzo shaved the outside of Colonna’s right-hand post with a splendid curling left-footer. As a result, the balance of power at the top remains unchanged, with all of the top five winning in tandem. Domagnano’s cushion over Faetano – twelfth in the table – is cut to a single point, and like Murata they failed to take advantage of San Giovanni’s rest day. Here is the full picture of Matchday 25 of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese:

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