Championship: Guidi enough for La Fiorita, Tre Penne hit three and glimpse the semi-finals

After seeing the Scudetto slip away at the end of a thrilling duel with Virtus, La Fiorita throw themselves into the Championship BKN301 play-off quarter-finals in pursuit of Europe. Manfredini’s side make the ideal start thanks to a narrow first-leg win over Folgore, sealed by Tommaso Guidi this afternoon in Acquaviva. Little or nothing happens in the early stages. On 23 minutes, from a throw‑in for the Montegiardino side, it is Guidi who tries to head the ball back into the middle; it then hits Brolli’s body. The Gialloblu appeal for a possible handball but referee Delvecchio – who had entered the pitch just seconds earlier after an injury to Ucini, originally appointed as the match official – lets play continue. Moments later La Fiorita manage to break the deadlock: Guidi collects the ball on the right and drives towards the area; after a couple of feints he shifts it onto his right foot and with a perfect diagonal finish beats Venturini to make it 1-0. Right at the end of the half Folgore also show themselves, knowing they need at least one win over the two legs to go through to the semi-finals. First Bernardi tries with a turn on the edge of the box, but sends the ball wide. Shortly afterwards Sartori delivers a fine cross into the area again for Bernardi, who goes for the header; the San Marino forward connects well and sends the ball just over, but on this occasion Delvecchio also whistles for offside at the moment of the attempt. Lasagni’s side come out of the dressing room positively and create another chance straightaway: Cateni recycles an excellent ball and lays it off to Anzaghi, who swings in a left‑footed cross; Fasan makes a great run between the Gialloblu shirts and goes for goal with a header from the edge of the six‑yard box but sends it over. The tie remains finely balanced, with no holding back in the challenges (four bookings in just a few minutes). Before stoppage time there are two big chances, one for each side. On 84 minutes Brolli goes directly for goal from a free-kick with a powerful right‑footer which Vivan palms away; on the counter, Guidi plays in Jacopo Semprini, who tries to kill it off with a neat diagonal effort but Venturini produces a stunning save to deny the second. Eight minutes of added time are played, ordered by the referee due to the many stoppages. Folgore press right to the end but cannot find the equaliser. In the return leg – scheduled for Wednesday 1 May at 20:45 in Acquaviva – the Falciano club will need to win by at least two goals. With a clear-cut 3-0 victory over Juvenes-Dogana, Tre Penne begin their play-off campaign in the best possible way. Ceci’s side, with today’s win in Montecchio, have effectively one foot in the semi-finals. In Wednesday’s second leg of the quarter-finals, again in Montecchio (20:45), the club from the castello of Serravalle will need a big win by at least four goals to go through. The opening phase is all in Tre Penne’s white and blue colours: on 10 minutes Badalassi brings down Rosini’s long ball, does well with his back to goal and lays it off to Dormi, who curls in with his left for 1-0. Just five minutes later Ceci’s team – who will bid farewell to their coach at the end of the season – double their lead: Righini takes the corner and Lorenzo Gasperoni heads home the classic goal against his former club – and also his first goal of the season for the San Marino midfielder. For the first half-hour, it is Tre Penne and Tre Penne only. On 22 minutes the side from Città go close to a third through Vandi who – helped by a slight deflection – shoots over from a great position. The third goal is then denied before the half-hour mark by a sensational save from Fabio Gentilini on Badalassi’s seemingly certain goalbound header. It would not have counted anyway, as Avoni’s assistant had already flagged for offside. Juvenes-Dogana’s first real effort comes shortly after, when Davide Merli tries his luck from distance, but Migani is well placed and watches the ball go wide. The sides go in at the break with Tre Penne holding a deserved two-goal lead. At the start of the second half, however, Juvenes-Dogana change their attitude and on 57 minutes go extremely close to getting back into it: a wonderful outside-of-the-boot ball from Gianmaria Borghini finds Riccardo Colonna, who throws himself into an estirada with his right, but the ball drifts just wide. Tre Penne drop deeper and concede possession to Amati’s men, who, however, cannot find the decisive spark. On 75 minutes Righini tries to finish it off, driving centrally before entering the box and shooting with his right, but he fails to hit the target. Shortly afterwards Cecchetti also has a go after a fine run down the left, but Gentilini punches away the San Marino winger’s effort. The third, though, arrives on 81 minutes: Lombardi cushions the ball coming from a corner for his strike partner Antonio Barretta, who shows real centre-forward instincts, controlling and then firing into the top corner with his right from inside the area. Despite the margin becoming even wider, Juvenes-Dogana go agonisingly close to a consolation goal on 85 minutes that might have made the defeat taking shape slightly less heavy: a perfectly weighted ball from Valentini picks out Colonna, who controls well and then squares for an unmarked Benedetti, but from an excellent position he heads over. The Dogana club keep pushing in stoppage time as well, with a fine right-footed effort from Merli that hits the side netting and offers only the illusion of a goal.

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