League: Cosmos target the podium in one of the two fixtures with Gibraltar referees

Virtus have a third consecutive win in their sights after reclaiming top spot by beating and dethroning La Fiorita, and now set their sights on Domagnano, who are coming off a draw against bottom side Pennarossa – a result unlikely to have pleased the Wolves, not least because it denied them the chance to extend their winning streak to four. The match will be officiated by an all‑Gibraltar team of four, with Herbert Warwick as referee, Adriàn Carrillo and Faustino Chini Guerrero as assistants, and Denis Perez as Fourth Official. This comes as part of a referee exchange agreement which, over the same weekend, will also see referees and assistant referees from ASA in action at the foot of Mount Titano and which, for the first time, will also involve the futsal sector. Between Saturday and Sunday, in fact, Cristian Tonelli and Laurentiu Ilie will take charge of two futsal matches in the Gibraltar league, while on the same days the team made up of Elison Luci and Mattia Andruccioli (referees) and Andrea Zaghini and Marco Savorani (assistant referees) will officiate two football matches, again within the small state overlooking the eponymous strait. In addition to Virtus–Domagnano, the Gibraltar quartet will also officiate – with the referee and Fourth Official swapping roles – Tre Penne v Cosmos, one of Sunday’s late kick-offs. As for futsal, a pair of Gibraltar referees will oversee the postponed fixture from Matchday 21 of the Campionato Sammarinese, scheduled for Wednesday 28 February at the Multieventi Sport Domus. The match in question is Folgore v Juvenes-Dogana and the pair will be Zyl Sheriff and Daniel Sanchez, assisted by the “host” Laurentiu Ilie acting as third referee. For Virtus, tasked with the pleasant duty of defending top spot but forced through suspension to do without Manuel Battistini and also a certain Buonocunto, there is a La Fiorita side that suddenly find themselves having to chase. Not only that: Manfredini’s team also have to watch their backs from a Tre Penne now just four points off the runners‑up spot. For Montegiardino, the Matchday 23 assignment will be on Sunday and they will be without the suspended Guidi and Virgilio. Lining up against the Gialloblù, eager to make amends for the defeat in the top‑of‑the‑table clash, will be a San Giovanni in good health, on a run of four positive results – three of them wins – but who cannot call upon D’Angeli. Mention was made of a Tre Penne side seriously intent on putting second place under pressure and, in truth, not even fully out of the title race, given that the gap between the San Marino Città outfit and the summit, at this stage, is no more than six points. The teams above them are not yet within one win, but the momentum of six straight victories allows the Biancoazzurri to nurture big ambitions, even if the matter of defending third place is far from settled. The clash with Cosmos, as mentioned entrusted to an all‑Gibraltar officiating team, indeed shapes up as a head‑to‑head that – depending on your perspective – is worth either consolidating or seizing the bottom step of the podium. A podium step that Tre Penne made a little more their own in midweek thanks to victory over Murata combined with Cosmos’ draw against Tre Fiori. That latter result, earned after coming from behind, still allowed Berardi’s side to get back on track after the defeat that halted a run of twelve consecutive wins. There are, however, some big absences for the Gialloverdi: due to suspension, Mularoni and Di Maio will miss out. Tre Fiori are watching this head‑to‑head with great interest. Having slowed their pace (before the draw with Cosmos they had strung together three straight wins), they want to get back to winning ways immediately, launching a fresh assault on the fourth place currently occupied by Cosmos, who remain two points ahead of De Falco’s men. Caution, though, regarding Juvenes-Dogana’s form: they come into the game off a win over San Marino Academy and, more broadly, a sequence of two victories and a draw from their last three outings. Tre Fiori, who will be without Della Valle, will not know the outcome of Tre Penne v Cosmos in advance, because their own clash with Juvenes-Dogana is also on Sunday. Back to Saturday, Pennarossa, who have finally added to their tally again almost three months after the last time, seek confirmation against a Murata side wounded by defeat in the derby and therefore more than determined to bounce straight back. Also kicking off at 15:00 on Saturday will be the meeting between San Marino Academy, chasing a win that has eluded them for three rounds, and a Fiorentino side unbeaten in their last three but without a win in the most recent two. Cecchetti’s boys have Libertas, two points ahead, in their sights, while Camillini’s men are eyeing Juvenes-Dogana, who overtook the Rossoblù after the midweek results. It was not an overtaking move but a pull‑away that Faetano managed over Libertas. After beating Cailungo, Girolomoni’s men go in search of back‑to‑back wins in the only fixture scheduled for 18:15 on Saturday, which will see them take on Folgore. The latter halted a three‑game losing streak but now need to rediscover victory to put pressure on Fiorentino and Juvenes-Dogana, the two sides immediately above the Falciano club in the table, and to keep San Giovanni and Domagnano, the two directly behind them, at a safe distance. Bruno will be absent, suspended by the Sporting Judge. Having lost contact with Faetano, Libertas could catch the Gialloblù immediately, provided the latter emerge empty‑handed from their meeting with Folgore and the Granata get the better of Cailungo, who are on a dire run of twelve consecutive defeats and whose last win dates back around four months. With a reminder that all matches will be available live on the Titani.TV platform, this is the fixture list for Matchday 23 of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301:

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