League: last-gasp joy for Tre Penne as the table stretches out at the top

The pacesetter, at the end of Matchday 23 of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese, is Tre Penne. In the appetizer to the Coppa Titano final, which will see the San Marino runners-up face Virtus, there is no shortage of goals, drama and a thrilling finale. The first half is evenly balanced and ends goalless despite chances for Gai, Tortori and Ceccaroli. The best opportunity, though, falls to Badalassi, at the end of a sweeping move started by Montanari, who breaks into the box and crosses to the near post, where the Tre Penne striker sends the ball wide with Passaniti already beaten. After the restart, Virtus are quicker out of the blocks: Sopranzi tries his luck on the hour mark, then Tortori breaks the deadlock. Buonocunto rewards Pedrini’s run in behind; the latter pulls it back for Tortori, who is impeccable with a right-foot finish into the corner. That moment jolts a too-passive Tre Penne, who set about mounting a sensational comeback, surviving a scare on a diagonal effort from former player Sorrentino on 76 minutes, and then on the ensuing corner, where Migani shows sharp reflexes to deny Nodari a second. Two minutes later, everything changes: Gai combines with Pieri and sends Nigretti through on goal who, completely forgotten by the Neroverdi backline, gives Passaniti no chance with a delicate dinked finish. A draw suits neither side, so the final quarter of an hour is nothing short of electric. First Nodari fails to find the corner with his effort from the heart of the box, then Pieri arrives a fraction late on balls in from Vandi and Ceccaroli. In between comes a Virtus counter-attack that ends with a first-time shot over the bar from Buonocunto, who could instead have picked out a team-mate in the area. Acquaviva spurns a match point in the 90th+1 minute and is made to pay: from the final corner, Passaniti comes out and gets nowhere near it, allowing Tisselli to fire into the unguarded net just seconds before the final whistle. Ceci’s men win an incredible match and return to the top of the table. La Fiorita stay right on their heels, although after a convincing first half they make life complicated for themselves after the break. On 15 minutes Greco conjures up a stunning goal, clipping the top corner with a powerful and precise left-foot strike that leaves Bianchi with no chance. After a couple of counter-attacks in which Fiorentino survive by the skin of their teeth, the deserved second arrives: once again Greco is the protagonist, delivering a perfect ball for Russo – ruthless with his header. The game looks to be downhill from there, but the reigning champions put it back in the balance with some unforgivable errors. While a misunderstanding between Vivan and Brighi goes unpunished, Palazzi’s backpass gifts Torsani a route to goal and – after rounding the keeper – he reopens the contest. Dangerous through Hirsch, the Rossoblù are then rescued by Bianchi on Brighi’s effort. Manfredini’s men recover from their wobble but cannot find the goal that would kill the game. So, from the final ball swung into the area by Baizan, La Fiorita break away on the decisive counter-attack led by Sammarinese duo Zafferani and Vitaioli, with the latter sealing the win with a clinical diagonal finish. A lively derby in the Castello di Borgo Maggiore between Cailungo and Libertas is unlocked as early as the 5th minute by Perretta, finishing off a cross from Ben Kacem. The Granata then repeatedly run up against an outstanding Elia Benedettini and even risk an own goal from Alex Gasperoni. After the restart, Cailungo equalise with their first foray forward: Canini’s solo move is one to watch over and over again, as he skips past Merendino and Gregorio in a tiny pocket of space before laying on a simple tap-in for Bara. Two miraculous saves from Benedettini delay Libertas’ second, but they restore their lead by once again relying on the set-piece and shooting prowess of Barone. Cailungo think they have made it 2-2 on 84 minutes, when Senja strikes the base of the post and the ball rebounds kindly to Manuel Muccioli. However, the Rossoverdi midfielder is in an offside position when his team-mate shoots, and Vandi – following the flag of Zaghini – rules the goal out. The other midweek derby goes the way of Juvenes-Dogana, who face Folgore in Dogana. Amati’s side appear to have the clearer ideas right from the start, but the goal does not come. At the end of an uneventful first half, the Giallorossoneri appeal for a penalty after contact between Tumidei and Di Marzo – but Delvecchio does not deem it worthy of the spot-kick. After the restart Juvenes-Dogana are the better side, creating two good opportunities that both lack just a finishing touch. That missing piece, unintentionally, is supplied by Golinucci: his backpass ends up sending Pasolini through on goal, and he keeps his cool with his left foot one-on-one with Pollini. Folgore throw men forward in search of an equaliser, going close when Bernardi’s bicycle kick from close range crashes against Urbinati’s body, before a last-gasp save from Gentilini. But it is Juvenes-Dogana who score again, this time through Eric D’Angeli. Only recently introduced, the winger puts his main qualities on show, burning past Piscaglia for pace before beating Pollini at the near post. The same D’Angeli wastes the chance to make it 3-0 on 83 minutes, but Juvenes-Dogana’s victory is already beyond doubt. Pennarossa’s win, which halts Domagnano’s run of victories, instead hinges on a few key episodes. Ranocchini’s men are superior in terms of possession and territory, but Simone Benedettini is simply unbeatable. The Sammarinese goalkeeper’s man-of-the-match performance starts with a first miracle on Ceccaroli. In the 35th minute, the Wolves have a goal ruled out because Morena is offside when the ever-dangerous Ceccaroli drills in a low diagonal strike. In the first minute of the second half, Fedeli is stopped by Benedettini in a low outing; in making the save he then clatters into the forward. Borriello points to the spot, but once again it is Benedettini who comes out on top, saving a left-footed penalty from Angelini that is less than perfect. From the keeper’s heroics to the striker’s gem: in the 65th minute, a high ball to the edge of the box is brought down by Stefanelli, who unleashes a first-time volley from 16 metres with the outside of his boot. A splendid, intelligent and unstoppable solution: the Sammarinese forward’s thirteenth goal of the league campaign is probably his best and certainly one of the most important he has scored this season. To take all three points home, Pennarossa must once more rely on Benedettini, who in the 90th+5 minute is decisive in keeping out Ferraro’s diagonal effort. Completing the three-point-saving intervention is Mezzadri, who throws himself in the way of Baffoni’s ensuing tap-in attempt into an empty net, just moments before the final whistle. Here is the full picture from Matchday 23 of the BKN301 Campionato Sammarinese, with all matches on delay and highlights available completely free on Titani.TV:

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