Futsal: Faetano defeat La Fiorita at the end of a crazy finale

Whoever wrote the script for last night’s Marano derby clearly has a flair for drama. Faetano won it 4-3, having been 3-1 down with 5 minutes to play. Despite a depleted squad, La Fiorita appeared to have set the game firmly on their preferred course in the first half, going into the break 2-0 up thanks to strikes from Cecchini (8’) and Pellegrini (15’). Faetano were slow to react. Luca Fortunati struck beyond the midway point of the second half to spark a comeback that La Fiorita tried to snuff out with Pellegrini’s second of the night, again from the same free-kick situation that had seen Yuri Rossi sent off for a second yellow. It looked like a decisive blow for Selva’s men. Not so: Luca Fortunati immediately made it 3-2 and then, in the following 5 minutes, Mattia Guidi and Fantini completed a stunning turnaround that gave Faetano their fourth win of the season (their second in a row, both 4-3), and allowed them to pull clear of Libertas in the table. For La Fiorita, it is a second defeat of the campaign, the first having come on 3 November against reigning champions Murata.

Speaking of pulling clear in the standings, Virtus did exactly the same with respect to La Fiorita. Michelotti’s men move alone into third place thanks to a 5-2 win over Cosmos, who see their five-game winning streak abruptly halted. It was Franchino’s side who struck first, through Molinas. Cevoli brought Virtus back on level terms at the end of the first half, shortly before Pasqualini completed the neroverde fightback. The second half began with Cosmos levelling through Bacciocchi, a scoreline that remained unchanged until the 48th minute, when Pasqualini, with his second of the night, launched Acquaviva’s decisive surge. After number 10’s goal, Morini added a brace of his own to seal a win that keeps the neroverde band in touch with the top two. In the near top-versus-bottom clash with Tre Fiori, leaders Murata ran riot in an 8-0 victory, built on braces from Aruci and Morri, a hat-trick from Mattioli and a single goal from Zanotti. Tre Penne also won, staying on Murata’s heels and, for now, keeping Virtus at arm’s length. Penserini’s side had to work hard for it: a 3-2 success over Fiorentino. Gamba opened the scoring on 15 minutes and then, six minutes later, Giacomo Bernardi made it 2-0 with the most classic of goals against his former club (he joined Tre Penne from Fiorentino in this transfer window). Rossi’s own goal reopened the contest at the start of the second half. Gamba’s second of the night then restored Fiorentino’s cushion, effectively rendering futile the rossoblù’s final attempt at a comeback, signed by Moroni.

As a result, Fiorentino fail to build on last week’s win but do at least remain in touch with Cailungo, who were beaten from behind by Domagnano. Things looked bleak for the Wolves in the first half: Angelini (7’) and Flammini (22’) fired Cailungo into a 2-0 lead, which was halved by Davide Dolcini right on the buzzer. The Domagnano number 9 then levelled matters on 38 minutes, shortly before Pascucci turned the game completely on its head with two goals in the space of 2 minutes. Cailungo tried everything to get back into it, but it was Domagnano who had the final say on the scoresheet through Menghi, who beat La Monaca with virtually the last kick. In the table, Domagnano nibble away two points from both Juvenes-Dogana and Folgore, who faced each other in a derby and direct showdown. There were no winners or losers: the 1-1 draw was decided inside the opening 6 minutes, a spell in which Ottaviani’s own goal gave Juvenes the lead before Bacciocchi hit back almost immediately.

The defeats for Cosmos and La Fiorita are very good news for Pennarossa, who, by beating Libertas, end their joint tenancy with the Gialloverdi and gain ground on the fourth-placed Gialloblù. There were eight goals in total in the second match in Domagnano, just as in the first, which Murata had won 8-0. This time, though, they were not all scored at one end. Libertas scored twice in the second half, but only when the horse had already bolted from the stable. Pennarossa went in at half-time 3-0 up, courtesy of a Verri brace and a goal from Toccaceli. After Andrea Gasperoni’s 3-1 strike, Toccaceli and Verri were back on the scoresheet to complete, respectively, their personal brace and hat-trick. They were then joined by Danny Gasperoni, a few minutes before Selva made it 6-2, a goal that slightly sweetened Libertas’ evening but was not enough to end the Granata’s long run without points.

Here is the full picture from Matchday 18 of the league season:

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