Championship: crucial wins for Domagnano and Academy widen the play-off gap

The points picked up by Domagnano in the afternoon at Montecchio carry real weight, as Rossi’s side were tasked with taking on bottom club Cailungo. The Giallorossi were the better side in the first half, where they scored twice in quick succession, helped by their opponents’ mistakes. After a couple of harmless long-range attempts by Gregori and Pama, the deadlock was broken in the 24th minute. Mezzadri made a costly error, losing the ball in the box while trying to dribble past Mazzavillani. As the move continued Vittori managed to block Ferraro, but he could do nothing about the subsequent diagonal effort from Gozzi, who left Francioni no chance. The Rossoverdi were rocked and then crumbled in the 37th minute, when Borriello pointed to the spot for a handball by Ambrosetti. From twelve yards, Gregori opted for the highest-percentage solution: a left-footed strike straight down the middle at mid-height to double Domagnano’s lead. Rossi’s team controlled the second half without major concern, threatening again on 70 minutes with a coast-to-coast run from Angelini – flawless as he skipped past two opponents, but questionable in going for goal himself with two team-mates free in the box. Shortly afterwards Gozzi had the chance to bag his brace with a header, but was denied by a fine save from Francioni. After squandering so much, Domagnano conceded the goal that reopened the contest: Gori – introduced after the break – drove the ball hard across the face of goal, where it squirmed out of a challenge between Gjyla and Merendino and nestled inside the far corner. Moments later, Babboni wasted a gilt-edged chance to make it 3-1 on the counter, firing wide when clean through on Francioni instead of squaring for Gregori, who would have had an open goal. Soon after, Francioni showed great bravery and reflexes, throwing his chest in the way as Amati connected with a bouncing left-footed strike. It was left to Angelini’s thunderbolt – sent clear into open field by Gozzi – to finally take the heat off Domagnano. A ferocious left-footer from the captain, from a very tight angle, that was worth all three points. It goes from bad to worse for Cailungo, as Sarti’s side slip to -8 from 11th place, the last spot granting access to the post-season. Clear-cut chances were few and far between in the first half between Juvenes-Dogana and San Marino Academy. The Serravalle club started better in the opening quarter of an hour, when it took a towering display from Borasco to deny Davide Merli the opener on two occasions – both times dangerous from the edge of the box. In the 35th minute Cecchetti’s boys had a go as well, again from outside the area: this time it was Alberto Riccardi who unleashed a strike, which Gentilini tipped over the bar with an acrobatic save. During the break Cecchetti found the right words, as the Academy burst out of the blocks after the restart. After just 40 seconds it took a fine intervention from Gentilini to turn away Gasperoni’s curling right-footer. On the rebound D'Addario failed to hit the target from a tight angle. That, however, was exactly what Giacopetti managed to do in style, after being played in inside the box following a break by Giambalvo: from there the National Team forward did the rest, as he found the back of the Juvenes-Dogana net from a hugely difficult position. The Serravalle side had the chance to make it 1-1 in the 68th minute, when a flick-on by Giambalvo sent Ferrulli clean through on Borasco, who produced a monumental reflex save to keep Academy U22 in front. The keeper also dealt with a Merli free-kick, moments before the sending-off of Marco Casadei for a second yellow card – after he had come on as a substitute. Fabbri’s team threw everything forward, but the Academy withstood the onslaught – with Giambalvo clearing off the line from Simeoni’s effort. Cecchetti’s side could finally breathe in stoppage time, when Juvenes-Dogana appealed for a penalty for a possible handball by Mattia Sancisi – who had been nudged from behind by an opponent. On the ensuing counter-attack, Giacopetti ran half the pitch with the ball at his feet but was blocked in extremis by Gentilini. In a frantic finale, San Marino Academy U22 kept their composure and sealed their first league win: Juvenes-Dogana beaten and overtaken, with three points that allow the Biancazzurri youngsters to keep pace with Domagnano and Faetano – both victorious and currently sitting right on the play-off cut line. Below is the full schedule for Matchday 8 of the Campionato Sammarinese:

---