League: Tre Fiori halted after eight games, last-gasp wins for Folgore and Fiorentino

It was certainly anything but a sleepy evening in the five late fixtures of Matchday 15. Not so much for the number of goals: in fact, it’s fair to say that the game that shakes up the table more than any other ends goalless – the 0-0 between leaders Tre Fiori and Pennarossa. Girolomoni’s men throw everything into extending their winning streak to nine. In the end, they only manage to extend their unbeaten run: nine games without conceding. A figure that takes a back seat compared to their lead over second place, cut from +5 on the eve to +3. Pennarossa do not take the pitch as sacrificial lambs. Parisi immediately knocks on Nardi’s door with a left-footed low drive, held by the Tre Fiori keeper. Then, on 9 minutes, Angelini goes a whisker wide of Nardi’s right-hand post with a venomous diagonal effort. Pennarossa keep pushing: another couple of Parisi raids sow confusion, but his team-mates are late arriving on the end of his crosses. Tre Fiori create serious danger on 34 minutes, when Sirri caps a long and scrappy attacking move with a left-footed shot from the edge of the box that drifts just past the far post. The second half opens with a powerful strike by Dolcini, beaten away by Filippo Tordella. The Pennarossa goalkeeper outdoes himself on 71 minutes from Sami’s free-kick: a superb flying save to claw the ball out from under the bar and keep it at 0-0. An intervention of equal importance comes on 84 minutes from Depaoli, who clears off the line a ball that looked destined to break the deadlock. These are the final stages, in which Tre Fiori pour forward in search of yet another win. But in stoppage time they almost succumb to a sucker punch: Papa finds himself all alone on the edge of the box and unleashes a left-footer that bends narrowly too much inside. It would have been the first goal conceded after eight consecutive clean sheets, and above all their first league defeat. Tre Fiori avoid all that, but not the renewed pressure from Virtus, who deal with Libertas without excessive drama.

In Dogana it becomes Elia Ciacci’s night. The San Marino midfielder puts his name to two of Virtus’ three goals, and he is the first to threaten with a free-kick which, deflected by the wall, finishes a couple of metres wide. The Neroverdi step up the pressure, calling Nigro into a vital double save on 20 minutes: first from Sabato’s long-range drive, then from Zenoni’s attempt on the rebound. The goal is in the air and arrives on 24 minutes: a deep cross from Montanari to the far post for the run of Ciacci, who brings the ball down on his chest and skips past the onrushing Nigro with an elegant sombrero. Libertas reply immediately – and virtually at their first meaningful attack: Guidotti lays it off for Berardi, who spins in the six-yard box and leaves Passaniti no chance. But Virtus hit back just as quickly: first Benincasa squanders a sitter from point-blank range, then Ciacci outwits Nigro again with a wide free-kick that loops over the Libertas keeper. Libertas cannot find an instant reaction. In truth, from 2-1 onwards the match becomes almost a Neroverdi monologue. Chances to stretch the lead pile up, especially in the second half. On 58 minutes Benincasa is denied by Nigro in a one-on-one; Zenoni flashes a shot centimetres wide of the far post; Scappini clips the woodwork; Ciacci chases his hat-trick with a powerful but central right-footer; Scappini rounds the keeper and shoots towards an empty net, only to see his effort blocked by Rigoni. Then Zenoni wastes a 3 v 2 break by shooting straight at the keeper: Nigro saves. In the meantime Libertas, in one of their rare forays forward, had found the net through Casotti, who however started from an offside position. At last Bizzotto’s men kill the game off on 80 minutes: Buonocunto’s corner, De Lucia’s unchallenged header and it’s 3-1. Before the final whistle Scappini again goes through on Nigro, who comes out on top. The duel repeats itself on 90 minutes: the striker’s right-footed effort on the run is once more saved by the keeper. But 3-1 is more than enough for the reigning champions to boost their title credentials.

There is no such revival for Domagnano, beaten after leading by a Folgore side who make the most of the closing minutes to claim their fourth win on the spin. The Wolves have a good first half and are rewarded for their heavy attacking presence on 24 minutes, when De Angelis palms out a ball that Ferraro has struggled to control and Sopranzi pounces to lash it violently into the net. Folgore grow as the minutes pass and have a golden chance to equalise on 58 minutes: from the right flank Pancotti whips in a left-footed cross onto the head of Raschi who, all alone in the six-yard box, heads straight at Maggioli. But the yellow-red-and-black siege does not relent. On 62 minutes Miori strikes the post, aided by a crucial touch from Perazzini. Domagnano try to shake themselves and on 72 minutes have the chance to make it 2-0 through Sopranzi, who shoots wide. But the biggest opportunity to seal the points falls to Bonetti. Minute 86: the Giallorossi marksman bursts clear down the right and goes eye-to-eye with De Angelis, attempting to chip him with a tame dink that fails to come off. Folgore will present a cruel bill for this missed knockout blow. Minute 88: Pancotti gets the slightest touch on Ura’s cross and guides the ball perfectly into the far corner. Minute 93: Ura swings in the corner for Augusto Garcia Rufer, who rises with little opposition and sends the entire yellow-red-and-black camp into raptures. Domagnano no longer know how to win; Folgore most definitely do.

La Fiorita slip up for the second time this season, undone by a Fiorentino side who score twice at the death in Domagnano, where the fog thickens considerably in the second half. Ceci’s men immediately carve out a huge chance: Vitaioli is denied by a superb Benedettini, then Affonso is not clinical enough on the rebound. Fiorentino’s response comes through Tosse, who on 14 minutes forces Vivan into a save from a tight angle, and then, right at the end of the half, scares him again from a more central position after a one-two with Gjonaj, only to fire over. Then, as mentioned, the fog takes centre stage. But even through the haze you can clearly make out Benedettini’s outstanding save from Dormi’s shot from outside the box. Here too, as in Domagnano v Folgore, the sliding doors open and close in the final minutes. Minute 87: Benedettini saves Olcese’s penalty. Minute 92: Belward finds Pesenti, whose shot is deflected and becomes unstoppable for Vivan. And so La Fiorita taste defeat again after just one match, while Fiorentino pull away from Cosmos and draw level with Domagnano.

After four defeats San Marino Academy get back to adding to their tally but have to make do with just a point, despite having far more than a mere chance of getting the better of Cailungo, judging by the number of opportunities created. The first of those immediately brings the breakthrough: Bugli races away down the right and crosses for Tamagnini, who powers a precise header inside the near post. On 14 minutes Della Balda meets Domeniconi’s low cross and smashes the ball into the side-netting. The number 10 in white and light blue tries again from eighteen metres: a fierce drive that Gallinetta punches clear. Cailungo weather the storm and knock on Conti’s door with a left-footed strike from distance by Lisi: the keeper gets down with perfect timing. The Academy carve out another chance through Della Balda, who shoots well across goal: Gallinetta stretches and keeps it out. With the scoreline still in the balance, Cailungo take advantage right at the end of the first half from a scramble following a free-kick: the quickest to react is Bua, who finishes from close range. In stoppage time Hirsch also finds the net from a Persichilli cross: the former international’s twisting header is excellent, but he was offside. On 49 minutes there’s another good opportunity for Della Balda, who hits it first time and sends it over the bar. A minute later Righi has a similar chance: the number 47’s left-footer is lower, but not enough to break the 1-1 deadlock. Which remains intact until the final whistle despite efforts from Gasperoni (curled right-footer wide), Tamagnini (free header from a Domeniconi cross, straight at the keeper), Righi (left-footed diagonal just wide) and Canarezza (right-footed effort across goal saved by Gallinetta).

Below is the full fixture list for Matchday 15 of the 2025-26 Campionato Sammarinese:

Click here to see the standings