Futsal: Cailungo into the play-offs, Tre Fiori on the brink

In the fourth-from-last matchday of the regular season in the San Marino Futsal Championship, Folgore string together a fourth straight win and overtake Pennarossa in fifth place – the latter are on court this evening against Tre Penne. The Serravalle derby between Juvenes-Dogana and Cosmos will wrap up the round on Thursday evening.

Zonzini’s Folgore record a comprehensive win over Tre Fiori who, after falling behind to a Bacciocchi goal, briefly drew level through Casadei. Before the break Ercolani restored the lead for the Falciano club, then repeated the feat early in the second half with the goal for 3-1. In the final third of the game, Folgore added three more goals, this time through Casali, Taddei and Molari – further worsening the scoreline for the Gialloblù. Tre Fiori remain four points adrift of 12th place, currently occupied by Libertas and Faetano who – as things stand – would qualify for the postseason at the expense of Bugli’s side.

Before Folgore’s success, the artificial pitch in Fiorentino had also witnessed La Fiorita’s 19th league win of the season. Chasing second place, currently held by Virtus, Pietrangeli’s men will have a game in hand to try to bridge the three-point gap to the runners-up spot. However, if the two sides finish level on points, the Neroverdi would prevail thanks to the head-to-head record. La Fiorita bank the three points thanks to a first half that ended 3-0, the result of strikes from Bernardi, Matteo Chezzi and Bologna. Sensoli’s goal in the 4th minute of the second half put Domagnano back in contention, but Gasperoni’s team were unable to build on that and complete the comeback.

As for Virtus, Michelotti’s team replied to La Fiorita’s win by prevailing a little later against Libertas. The victory was effectively sealed in just over half an hour: that was all the Acquaviva club needed to get Zafferani, Pasqualini and Morini on the scoresheet – the latter two both netting braces. Goals from Michelotti and Giardi – with Dolcini providing the sixth Neroverde celebration in between – served only to pad the statistics. Earlier, Fiorentino had claimed three points which – taken together – had been missing for a month and a half. The basement battle with San Giovanni was decided at the death: Para and then Moroni wrapped things up, both scoring in the final ten minutes.

The only indoor fixture among the early games, Cailungo-Faetano went the way of the Rossoverdi with a 5-3 scoreline. A blazing start was not enough for Selva’s men (the coach was suspended): Simone Fortunati and Rossi had put Faetano 2-0 up after just 7 minutes, but Cailungo’s reaction was swift. Just a minute later the deficit was halved, and subsequent strikes from Sarti and Burgagni enabled Cailungo to reach the interval actually in front. After the break, the exchanges of goals between Meloni and Calzolari did not change the overall picture, leaving it to Filippo Gianni – on target in the 56th minute – to put his seal on Cailungo’s win and their confirmed berth in the Championship postseason.

Here is the partial picture of Matchday 27 in the league: