League: San Giovanni fight back to clinch 7th place

It is San Giovanni who claim seventh place, which secures a spot in the Play-off Quarter-finals. This is the final verdict from Matchday 30 of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301, which today brought its regular season to a close. A come-from-behind victory for Marco Tognacci’s side, who, thanks to this precious final position, avoid the Preliminary Round. The latter now involves Juvenes-Dogana: the club from the Castello of Serravalle will be back on the pitch immediately on Wednesday 24 April against Domagnano (Acquaviva, 20:45). San Giovanni, on the other hand, now face Cosmos, who secured fourth place yesterday, with the Rossoneri playing on Saturday 27 at 18:15 in Acquaviva. In this afternoon’s match in Montecchio, the first warning shot comes from Manuel Amati’s team when Gianmaria Borghini, back from suspension, makes the most of an excellent vertical pass from Cevoli and darts into the channel. Once in the box he tries a powerful low shot, but De Angelis is well positioned and keeps it out. On the half-hour another chance for Juvenes-Dogana: from the corner swung to the near post, Cevoli gets there and attempts a shot on the turn, but again De Angelis is alert and parries well. The first half is clearly in favour of the club from the Castello of Serravalle: once more it is Gianmaria Borghini – after a fine team move – who is the most dangerous of his side when, towards the end of the half, he even rounds De Angelis, but then from a couple of yards out and with the goal practically gaping he strikes the outside of the post in incredible fashion. The sides go in at the break goalless in Montecchio. After the restart, San Giovanni clearly change their approach and begin to show more of a threat around Gentilini’s area. Shortly after the hour mark there is a big chance for the Rossoneri: down the right, former Juvenes-Dogana man Eric D’Angeli works the ball and from the corner of the area delivers it across; Valentini’s clearance is short, Aprea tries the shot, but the Sammarinese defender atones for his earlier error and gets just enough on it to divert it away from goal. However, in the 70th minute Juvenes-Dogana step on the gas: a superb ball in behind from Lorenzo Pasquinelli picks out the perfectly timed run of Gianmaria Borghini, who beats De Angelis with a couple of feints and then tucks the ball into the net. San Giovanni refuse to give in and soon after find the goal that restores parity: Boldrini’s corner is met by the head of Augusto Rufer Garcia, who beats Gentilini and keeps his side alive. The Rossoneri know that one more goal would take them straight into the Play-off Quarter-finals and they push harder and harder. And in stoppage time comes the goal that rewards Tognacci’s boys: from Azael Garcia Rufer’s whipped cross, Gentilini misjudges his exit, while Rodrigo Gaston Robba is perfectly placed and heads home a hugely important goal for his team. Juvenes-Dogana mount one last assault, but Valentini’s header is an easy claim for De Angelis. Tognacci’s side win 2-1 and continue their fine run – six victories in their last seven. Nothing doing for Juvenes-Dogana who, despite having two results out of three in their favour, were forced to yield to the Rossoneri. Now comes a Preliminary Round – the ante-chamber of the play-offs – in which there will be no more room for error. Despite a season to forget, Pennarossa end their campaign with a fine victory. The match-winner against Libertas is Emmanuel Facundo Dinatale, whose goal in each half brings a smile back to Filippo Dolci’s Biancorossi. The Chiesanuova club go in front on 15 minutes: a free-kick from three-quarters taken precisely by Michelotti picks out Dinatale’s header, which finds the bottom corner where Magnani – preferred to Del Prete today – cannot reach. The game proceeds in bursts, and the decisive one for Pennarossa comes shortly before the hour mark: a free-kick from Pianini finds the head of Dinatale, who with a fine twist once again beats Magnani and makes it 2-0. The only negative note of the day for Pennarossa is the sending off – for a second yellow card – of Ruggeri, adjudged by referee Hafidi to have protested a bit too much. With the extra man, Libertas push forward in the 77th minute: Diego Moretti tries an overhead effort but Barbieri saves; on the rebound Guglielmi hits it first time, sending the ball just wide. Sperindio’s Granata wake up too late, because on 90 minutes they come within a whisker of scoring through Nicholas Di Meo, whose effort is crucially thwarted at the last by centre-back Omar Sehail. Even with ten men, Pennarossa hold out until the end, bringing home their second win of the season, which makes their bottom-placed finish a little less bitter. Libertas, meanwhile, end their – decidedly underwhelming – campaign with a defeat, having been out of the play-off race for several weeks already. Honours are even in the only Sunday fixture at 18:15 between Folgore and San Marino Academy Under-22. Matteo Cecchetti’s team break the deadlock early on: it is Camilo Bortolotto who puts the Titani ahead after a persistent move that culminates in a fine left-footed strike from the edge of the area, which flies into the top corner. The goal fires up the Academy, who shortly afterwards go very close to doubling their lead with an excellent curling effort from Mattia Sancisi, but Venturini produces a superb save. The Titani keep pressing and at the end of the half see their second goal ruled out: from Mattia Sancisi’s shot-cross, Venturini again makes a great save, then on the rebound Giacopetti puts the ball in the net, but the referee stops play for a prior offside by Giambalvo. At the start of the second half Cecchetti’s youngsters are lively again: right from the restart Giocondi whips the ball across, Angelini gets a touch, and it falls to captain D’Addario, who from two yards out sends it over. Folgore, however, somewhat against the run of play, find the equaliser before the hour mark: a dangerous long-range free-kick from Bruno is swung straight into the penalty area, evades everyone and then ends up in the net behind Battistini. The Academy respond and shortly before stoppage time come very close to regaining the lead through Kevin De Luca, who battles in the box and then shoots well with his right, but Venturini keeps it out with his foot. In the closing stages chances rain down at both ends, but the clearest comes just seconds from the final whistle with a header from Francesco Gori that flashes just wide of the post. It finishes 1-1: Folgore’s season continues with the Preliminary Round (the Giallorossoneri will face Fiorentino on Wednesday 24 April in Montecchio, 20:45), while San Marino Academy’s maiden campaign in the Campionato Sammarinese comes to an end. Below is the Matchday 30 schedule of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301: *matches at the "Ezio Conti" stadium in Dogana will not be live streamed due to current renovation works at the facility

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