Futsal: Murata beat Virtus as leaders open up a gap at the top

Another emphatic win for Murata, who for now confirm themselves as the best side in the San Marino Futsal Championship. On Matchday 8, played almost entirely last night, Max Spada’s Bianconeri ran out 5-0 winners over Virtus (without suspended coach Michelotti) and, thanks to this victory, further stretch their lead at the top over the chasing pack. The big match at the Multieventi, however, was balanced early on, with goalkeepers Protti and Giacobbi doing well to repel the opposition attacks. The deadlock was finally broken on the quarter-hour mark when Belloni won back a good ball down the left flank and then laid it off to Matteo Moretti, who struck a right-footed diagonal effort to beat Giacobbi. Murata created a few more chances than Virtus but the Bianconeri could not find a second and the first half ended with the narrowest of margins. After the restart Juri Biordi tried to rally his side with a powerful long-range effort, but Protti got across well to save. The second goal for Spada’s team arrived shortly afterwards (33’) when Busignani robbed Biordi of the ball on the three-quarter line and then fed Belloni, who drove to the edge of the area before unleashing a low, angled right-footed shot that left Giacobbi no chance. Virtus refused to give in and came very close to getting back into it: Pasqualini played a vertical ball to Biordi, who shielded it and then released Cevoli on the left; the former Fiorentino man tried to beat the onrushing Protti but his shot was off target. Murata then pushed to kill the game off and it took a brilliant double save from Giacobbi – first on Busignani and then on Ghiotti – to deny a third. The third goal did eventually arrive on 50 minutes, when Busignani recovered possession and found Alex Mattioli, who ran at Di Maio, beat him with some neat footwork and finished superbly across goal with his right. Murata were solid at the back too and gave nothing away to their neroverde rivals: Bernardi tried his luck from distance but Protti was equal to it; on the rebound Stolfi was about to pounce, only for Busignani to make a crucial block. Virtus then played the flying goalkeeper card, but Murata capitalised and on 53 minutes Ercolani dispossessed Pasqualini and rolled the ball into an empty net for 4-0. The Bianconeri’s fifth came soon after (58’), when Belloni shielded the ball well from Cevoli and then picked out Ercolani, who drove in his second with his right foot to put the result beyond doubt. Murata move onto 22 points in the table, while Virtus suffer a second straight defeat and slip to third place (18 points), overtaken by an excellent Pennarossa. The Biancorossi edge past Folgore and claim a fifth win on the bounce. The match was opened early on by Danny Gasperoni, who put Pennarossa in front. Ceccoli doubled the lead for Novembrini’s side but it was a real contest in Fiorentino and Zonzini’s Folgore were having none of it. Bortolotto pulled one back late in the half, and in the second half Mularoni levelled the scores. It then took another decisive strike from Gasperoni to give the Chiesanuova club a 3-2 victory, lifting them to 19 points (three behind leaders Murata). Behind Murata and Pennarossa, La Fiorita and Tre Penne both keep pace, joining Virtus in third place. The Montegiardino club, coached by Fabio Traviglia, record their second consecutive win with a 4-1 success over Juvenes-Dogana. Giuccioli and Carta struck in the first half, before Pellegrini and Andreani found the net after the break. Roberto Levani’s Juvenes-Dogana reduced the deficit too late through Bagnasco and then had to cope with the dismissal shortly afterwards of Simone Celli (two yellow cards in the space of a few minutes). Tre Penne also won, as mentioned, by an even wider margin than La Fiorita. Penserini’s side cruised to a comprehensive 6-1 victory over a San Giovanni team sinking deeper into crisis (sixth defeat in a row). A brace from Sabatino and a goal from Cola quickly set the tone in the first half, before the Biancoazzurri added three more after the restart through Ercolani and again Cola (a hat-trick for him by the final whistle). Macina scored late on for the Rossoneri. In mid-table sit Cosmos, who notch up a third consecutive win. Muccioli’s side put five without reply past Cailungo: Cervellini opened the scoring early on before Enzo Gabriel Molinas ran riot, netting four goals in just thirty minutes. With this win, Cosmos rise to 9 points and move above Venerucci’s Rossoverdi. Tre Fiori also return to winning ways – a victory that had been missing since 2 October – as Luca Pollini’s men put six past bottom side Libertas. Podeschi scored immediately, then Maiani and a brace from Tamagnini sent the Fiorentino outfit into the interval 4-0 up. The Gialloblu player was in inspired form and added another brace for his four-goal haul. Between Tamagnini’s two second-half goals there was also time for a Morelli penalty, pulling one back for the Granata. In the end, though, it was Tre Fiori celebrating a 6-1 final scoreline. Matchday 8 will conclude tomorrow evening with the late kick-off at the Multieventi between Fiorentino and Faetano (kick-off at 21:45). Here is the updated Matchday 8 schedule for the Futsal Championship: Click here for the updated league table

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