Futsal: Calzolari’s last-gasp strike sends Faetano into the postseason

The big question to be answered on Matchday 30 of the regular season in the San Marino futsal championship concerned the last spot granting access to the postseason. In contention were Faetano and Tre Fiori, separated by three points in the table ahead of last night’s simultaneous kick-offs. What unfolded across the two venues was a thriller-worthy storyline. The Fiorentino derby, in which Bugli’s side simply had to win, was unlocked at the end of the first half by Pelliccioni. The former Folgore winger struck again on 57 minutes, keeping Tre Fiori’s play-off hopes alive after they had been temporarily pegged back early in the second half by their Fiorentino cousins through Moroni. Casadei and his team-mates were, for four minutes, virtually in the postseason. Then, in Dogana, came a last-second twist: Edoardo Calzolari’s qualification-winning goal. The saviour of Faetano found the net at 60+1’, earning his side a draw with Domagnano (who had gone ahead on 51 minutes through Vagnini) and booking their place in the Preliminary Round of the play-offs.

Matteo Selva’s men will face Folgore, who finished the regular season in fifth place. Yesterday the Falciano side met and beat Cosmos in one of the Serravalle Castle derbies: the only goal of the match was scored by captain Ercolani. Juvenes-Dogana and Libertas will also feature in the opening act of the postseason. The Granata closed out the regular season by beating San Giovanni in yet another derby served up by this round of fixtures. Alongside Gasperoni’s brace, Libertas celebrate goals from Paesini (penalty), Ciarmatori and Giorgini. Palermino’s Rossoneri saw an extraordinary comeback from 1-3 to 3-3 slip away at the death, having scored through Gracik, Cecchetti and Zafferani. The next opponents of Juvenes-Dogana drew 3-3 with leaders Murata. The Bianconeri were missing several key players, including Protti, Moretti and Busignani, but still managed to score three times. Spada’s men led at the break thanks to Zanotti’s goal, before – with one goal per minute between the 35th and 37th – the former Cellarosi’s players turned the game on its head. The flurry of goals from Simone Celli, Cavalli and Cian, however, was not enough to inflict Murata’s first league defeat of the season, as Mattioli’s brace rescued them.

The most intriguing tie at Preliminary Round level will be between Domagnano and Cosmos, who battled right to the end for eighth place – a position that, in the event of a perfectly balanced postseason clash, could be decisive for progressing. It is an advantage that Domagnano can draw upon, having finished one point ahead of the Gialloverdi. Also meeting at this stage of the play-offs will be Pennarossa and Cailungo. The Biancorossi slipped to a narrow defeat away to Virtus in Fiorentino. There was an early exchange of blows between Verri and Stolfi, before Pasqualini and Stolfi again gave Michelotti’s men a two-goal cushion. Chiesanuova’s club pulled one back through Toccaceli but could not complete their attempted comeback. For Acquaviva’s Neroverdi, this win secures second place in the final standings, courtesy of a better head-to-head record against La Fiorita. The Montegiardino club faced Cailungo in the only indoor fixture of the final round of the regular season. Venerucci’s Rossoverdi went in front through Flammini, then suffered a quickfire brace from Giuccioli before levelling on 25 minutes and deferring the verdict to the second half. There, Cecchini (with a brace) and Bernardi ensured the three points went La Fiorita’s way, a victory that was not enough, however, to improve on third place in the table.

This is the full picture from Matchday 30 of the championship: