Coppa Titano: fog forces Cosmos-San Giovanni postponement, La Fiorita through at the death

As expected, Juvenes-Dogana v Fiorentino immediately lives up to its billing as an open, entertaining contest with chances at both ends. The side coached by former boss Costantini makes the brighter start and twice goes close through Ben Kacem: his overhead kick drifts just wide, while a driven cross-shot following a short corner crashes against the base of the post. On 26 minutes Fiorentino also appeal timidly for a foul on Dolcini, who shortly afterwards is involved at the other end in far less positive fashion. Before that, though, there is Giovagnoli’s thunderbolt from 30 metres, drawing a miracle save from Benedettini. The San Marino goalkeeper, however, can do nothing about the penalty awarded to Juvenes-Dogana for Dolcini’s foul on Giacomo Borghini. From the spot Benedetti opens up his body and breaks the deadlock. Belward provides the response, persisting with a solo move and, after winning a couple of challenges, wriggling away from a double-team on the by-line before unleashing a left-footed effort that flies just over. Deep into the third and final minute of added time, Boldrini’s side virtually books their place in the next round: Comuniello swings a cross to the far post where Nicola Sartini ghosts in unmarked and doubles the lead with a header. After the restart Fiorentino struggle to carve out clear-cut chances, while Juvenes-Dogana repeatedly threaten on the counter. Nicola Sartini and Gianmaria Borghini both lack the killer touch, but Lisi keeps his cool: the midfielder signed from Faetano makes no mistake one-on-one with Benedettini and sends the Serravalle outfit through to the quarter-finals.

The big match in Acquaviva takes longer to catch fire. It is sparked into life by a piledriver from former La Fiorita man Miori, which whistles just past Vivan’s upright, although the keeper had it covered. The same lack of accuracy affects Daidola, who curls wide of the far post with his right, and Zaccaria, who wastes two golden chances for La Fiorita by shooting off target. The last opportunity of the half also falls to the Montegiardino club, who are centimetres away from taking the lead when Affonso’s solo run ends with a right-footed strike that flashes just past the top corner. In the opening minutes of the second half the trend seems to shift: Lunadei and Olcese both have good opportunities to break the deadlock, and on 52 minutes Pancotti slaloms past half the opposition before releasing Daidola, whose rocket from the edge of the box just clears the bar. The same combination appears to have Folgore on their way five minutes later: Pancotti leaves Barretta for dead and puts a gilt-edged chance on a plate for Daidola, who loses his footing at the crucial moment inside the six-yard box. Pancotti arrives on the goal line to force the ball over, but in Macaddino’s view the San Marino winger is centimetres beyond Barretta. On the brink of elimination, La Fiorita rally and snatch the decisive goal at the death: Gasperoni whips in a low, driven cross to the near post, where Olcese – on the ground just seconds earlier – springs up in a flash and guides the ball into the far corner. As last year, Folgore are undone right at the end.

There are no goals in the first half of Murata-Faetano, with two chances apiece to report. Both of Faetano’s come from set pieces, and shortly before the half-hour they curse their luck from a long-range free-kick by Romano: the trajectory is unstoppable for Magnani, who is struck on the back after the ball had crashed against the crossbar. It spins behind for a corner. At the other end, Salemme’s tame left-footed attempt is followed by an effort from Mannarino, who drags his shot wide. In the early stages of the second half Della Mura is the negative protagonist on two occasions: first he squanders a sitter from close range, then he is beaten far too easily by Alabay, who gives Faetano hope on 70 minutes. One more goal for the side newly entrusted to Sperindio would have forced extra time. Those hopes are dashed by Gashi’s last-minute tap-in in normal time – which sends Murata into the quarter-finals.

In Domagnano, between Cosmos and San Giovanni, you could say the fog was the real winner. It is hard to make out much of anything in the first half, with a thick blanket obscuring the 22 players. The Gialloverdi struggle to read situations and fall behind to an own goal midway through the half, before seeing their two-goal advantage from the first leg wiped out on 42 minutes – when Zanni also finds a way past Semprini. Visibility does not improve after the break and, just ten minutes into the second period, the referee is forced to suspend and then definitively abandon the match. The game will now be played tomorrow evening at 21:15 in Montecchio. It will resume from the same minute and at the same scoreline.

This is the – still incomplete – picture of the second legs in the Coppa Titano Round of 16, all available to watch live and free on Titani.tv: