League: four narrow wins, La Fiorita stay top thanks to stoppage-time penalties

All the early kick-offs on Matchday 17 of the BKN301 San Marino Championship were on a knife edge, as the league staged its first midweek round of 2024 and served up fiercely balanced encounters. Contrary to expectations, leaders La Fiorita were the side facing the toughest assignment, up against a Faetano clearly revitalised and reorganised by Girolomoni’s experience in the dugout. The coach, in his second spell with president Gasperoni’s club, set up a scrappy, hard-fought contest against the highly fancied opponents, causing no end of problems for Amati and his team-mates. To make matters worse for La Fiorita, Brisigotti poured more fuel on Faetano’s fire: the forward broke the deadlock with a free-kick that was as close to perfect as it gets, the ball flying into the top corner. By the 9th minute, the league leaders were already chasing the game. What followed was a stop–start affair, and it was no coincidence that the decisive moments came from dead-ball situations. Vitaioli and Olcese failed to make their free-kicks count, whereas the nous of the seasoned Argentine-born striker did pay dividends. After a ricochet off Bertuccini in the box, he went looking for contact with the San Marino full-back before going to ground. Referee Borriello deemed it a penalty, which Olcese himself calmly tucked past Manzaroli in the first minute of added time at the end of the half. It was hardly a game for the purists, thanks also to a well-organised Faetano side: Vitaioli’s right-footed effort at one end and Brisigotti’s shot-cum-cross on 75 minutes did not trouble the goalkeepers, while an 85th-minute red card for Lisi for a second booking injected panic into Faetano’s ranks. Even so, they held out without too much discomfort under pressure – until La Fiorita were awarded another spot-kick right on 90 minutes. Ambrosini flicked a difficult ball onto Casadei’s arm and then kept his nerve from twelve yards: another hugely important goal for La Fiorita’s marksman, who moves clear of Badalassi in the scoring charts and joins Matteo Prandelli at the top on 14 goals. A last-gasp victory for the Montegiardino club, who move temporarily four points clear of Virtus. In stoppage time Faetano finished with nine men: Terenzi was also dismissed after a second yellow card. Cosmos kept pace with the leaders, but – just like La Fiorita – had to come from behind with a hard-fought comeback. Folgore are a tough proposition at the moment, and Venturini’s first-half performance between the yellow-and-red posts signalled a testing evening for Berardi’s men – the coach facing his former club in the Serravalle derby. Twice Cosmos were denied by the visiting goalkeeper’s reflexes and they also appealed for a penalty for a challenge on Berardi early on. Folgore’s first effort came from Simeoni, who missed the target from the edge of the area. After around twenty uneventful minutes, there was a chance at either end: Ben Kacem broke the offside trap, rounded Venturini and, from a tight angle, lifted the ball just over the bar. At the other end, Folgore did not return the favour: Simoncini stretched to deny Capparelli the opener, but once again the Green-and-Yellows fell behind on the rebound. This time it was Simeoni who opened the scoring on 41 minutes. Once again tonight, though, Cosmos could rely on a sensational Ben Kacem – who had already struck the inside of the post before the break from a Santi assist. His equaliser, on 50 minutes, was a thing of beauty and showcased the Moroccan forward’s finest qualities. After Cateni had cheaply given the ball away, Cosmos went immediately vertical to Ben Kacem, who carried it forward with his right before cutting inside and bending an unstoppable left-footer into the far top corner. It was a bitter pill for Folgore to swallow and they were quickly hit by Sapori’s instant one-two. Filippo Berardi whipped in a low cross from the left which Venturini misjudged, effectively leaving the goal wide open for the sliding finish from the former Libertas playmaker, already on two goals for his new club just a few weeks after joining. Folgore tried to respond through Pancotti, but their hopes were effectively ended on 76 minutes when they were reduced to ten men following a red card for Fall after a second yellow. It is a ninth straight win for Cosmos, who stay eight points off top spot. Just a single goal decided the matches in Montecchio and Fiorentino. At the Stadio Federico Crescentini, Murata finally returned to winning ways and to a clean sheet, both missing since November. Angelini’s men took the game to Libertas and deservedly broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark through former Libertas man Matteo Gaiani. The Bianconeri captain was quickest to react to a shot against the post from Gega, whose shooting action was perhaps tainted by a handball – at least according to Libertas’ protests. Before that, Del Prete had made only one real save, beating away a powerful effort from Cunha. Before the interval, the Granata keeper again came to the rescue, this time with a smart reflex save with his foot to deny Giaretta. After the restart the Borgo Maggiore club exposed themselves to Murata’s counter-attacks, but the Bianconeri lacked a killer instinct in the several situations in which they had the chance to land the knockout blow through Giaretta, Cunha and Ura – the latter coming on in the second half. Still, it was an important victory for the Bianconeri, who keep Juvenes-Dogana at arm’s length and pull further away from Folgore, extending their cushion over eighth place to eight points. Eighth place in the table now belongs to Folgore, because Juvenes-Dogana took full advantage of the result in the clash between the other two Serravalle clubs to move up into seventh, the last position guaranteeing direct access to the play-offs and avoiding the preliminary round. Amati’s side confirmed their excellent form and this time it was Domagnano who paid the price. Without the suspended Colonna in goal, the Wolves turned to Batori. The Giallorossi keeper was called into action immediately by Stella and then produced a superb stop on Gianmaria Borghini on the half-hour. The best chances in the second half also fell to Juvenes-Dogana: on 55 minutes Batori created problems for himself, spilling the ball after a well-timed rush from his line, then redeeming himself by bravely diving at Colonna’s feet. Domagnano’s first warning came on 58 minutes, when Buda’s burst forward very nearly brought the opener for the Wolves. However, the Biancorossazzurri were the more incisive side and, after going close again through Gianmaria Borghini, they took the lead thanks to a moment of vision from the wide man – who continues to look right at home in the right-wing role Amati has designed for him. His through ball for Stella was outstanding, and the forward did the rest, curling a left-footed outside-of-the-boot finish into the far corner, leaving Batori with no chance. The goal did little to jolt Domagnano, who were almost never dangerous around Gentilini’s area – aside from a thunderbolt from Angelini in the 93rd minute. It was Juvenes-Dogana who came closest to scoring again, through Borghini and Stella – the latter even had a 2-0 ruled out for offside. No matter for Amati’s men, who strung together a fifth consecutive victory and can now look with confidence towards two extremely tough tests of their credentials: next weekend they face Virtus, and the following one La Fiorita. This is the partial picture of Matchday 17 of the BKN301 San Marino Championship, which will be completed by four fixtures tomorrow evening – all broadcast live and free on TITANI.TV:

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