Futsal: Tre Fiori snatch a last-gasp draw, Murata fight back in style

The two most eagerly awaited clashes of the 16th matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese di futsal lived up to expectations, adding even more spice to the battle for third place. Folgore pull away from the pack with a thumping win over Libertas – just as Fiorentino and Domagnano do against Tre Penne and San Giovanni. Cailungo vs Cosmos ends level, reshaping the grid of contenders for the Preliminary Round of the play-offs, for which Pennarossa have raised the entry bar thanks to their win over Faetano. A goal at the death preserves Tre Fiori’s third place from La Fiorita’s assault. The leaders show no mercy to Tre Penne, who slip to a third defeat in a row. Over the same spell, Michelotti’s Fiorentino side have always hit double figures. In Acquaviva it is surprisingly Ghiotti’s men who break the deadlock through Ercolani. The response from the reigning champions is swift and ruthless, and by half-time they are already 8-1 up. Busignani bags a hat-trick, Zafferani a brace, with further goals from Maiani, Gasperoni and Cevoli. The latter is the first to score after the restart, before Gamba takes the consolation of finding a way past the Fiorentino keeper. With time expired, Busignani signs off with his fourth of the night, taking his tally to 37 goals – thirteen more than his nearest challenger in the scoring charts. Specifically, that is Matteo Moretti – suspended for the blockbuster in Dogana between his Murata and Virtus. It was a crucial match in the race for third place, and the Bianconeri made it theirs with a stunning comeback. Pollini’s side are quicker out of the traps: Thomas Paolini strikes twice in the space of four minutes, but Felici and Belloni go one better, levelling with two goals inside a single minute. The man who ultimately settles it is Marco De Angelis: signed from Folgore, his first goal in his new colours proves a massive one. Murata win the six-pointer for fifth place, launching Cellarosi’s men in pursuit of Tre Fiori and La Fiorita. The Multieventi fixture also ends in a draw. The outcome is dictated by a goal with the very last kick of the game from Michael Simoncini, decisive in his first appearance of the season. It is a real sting in the tail for La Fiorita, who had taken the lead right at the end of the first half through Jacopo Giuccioli. The winger does brilliantly to meet a pass from captain Bernardi, sit Andreani down and, after going past him, roll the ball into the net. As mentioned, the final word belongs to Tre Fiori – who make full use of the flying goalkeeper. La Fiorita are drawn towards the ball and Simoncini is quick to exploit the space afforded to him, finishing coolly from the middle of the area past Marchetti after a pass from Verri. In the closing stages of a hard-fought, tense encounter, Cappelli and Bugli overstep the mark and both see a second yellow. Tre Fiori thus hold on to third place, one point clear of their latest opponents and two ahead of Murata. Domagnano move to within a single point of sixth-placed Virtus. Their emphatic win over San Giovanni (10-2) allows the Wolves to leapfrog Juvenes-Dogana, who were idle with a bye week. It is an evening of exceptional attacking output from Gasperoni’s side, who score eight times in the first half alone: the Dolcini brothers, Davide and Filippo, both get on the scoresheet, as do Bollini and Gracik. Over the full sixty minutes, Faetanini, Menghi and Morri all celebrate braces. There is also a double celebration for San Giovanni: Filippo Zafferani scores on 30 and 44 minutes, slightly softening what is otherwise a night to forget for Corbelli’s team. Folgore continue to impress, averaging 12 goals scored and none conceded so far in 2024. The clash with Libertas ends 8-0 in favour of Zonzini’s side, who are already 3-0 up after five minutes thanks to Pellegrini, Pasqualini and Bernardi. Pellegrini completes his brace before the break, while after the interval Biordi, Bernardi and Pelliccioni also find the net – along with Pasqualini, who scores his second of the match. It is a priceless victory for the Giallorossoneri, who consolidate second place and open up a four-point gap over their closest pursuers – Tre Fiori. The second match in Fiorentino is finely balanced and ends in a stalemate. The 2-2 final score cannot satisfy Muccioli: his Cosmos side were protecting a two-goal lead with ten minutes to play, courtesy of a strike from Dominici and a Burgagni own goal. What sport takes away, it can also give back: it is Burgagni himself who, after Sammaritani’s goal, signs the equaliser right at the death. The point does not bring Cailungo any closer to the play-offs threshold, but it does confirm the progress made by Venerucci’s team. On the flip side, the Gialloverdi miss the chance to draw level with Libertas in tenth place and are instead caught by Pennarossa. Casadei’s side are back to winning ways in the league at the expense of Faetano. It is an extremely even and entertaining contest, with constant twists and turns right up to the final, decisive five minutes. The difference-maker, in this case, is Alessandro Ciacci, who hits a late brace – either side of a Bacciocchi own goal that knocks the stuffing out of Faetano. The Gialloblù had opened the scoring through Scarponi, only to concede Baldani’s immediate equaliser on 15 minutes. Their second lead, this time via De Cesare, fares no better. Gualtieri’s men, 2-1 up at half-time, are pegged back and overtaken by Tomassoni and the ever-reliable Baldani. Their reaction is, however, effective, and Giacomo Bacciocchi is able to restore parity for a third time before the finale – already recounted – in which Ciacci steals the spotlight. Here is the full picture of the 16th matchday of the 2023-24 Campionato Sammarinese di futsal: Click here for the latest league table

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