Futsal: Folgore keep the pressure on Fiorentino, unstoppable Juvenes-Dogana

The race for top spot is wide open again. Murata hold Fiorentino to a draw and Folgore take full advantage to move back to within three points of the summit. The big match, a rescheduled fixture from Matchday 25, only comes to life very late on: it’s the 24th minute when Cevoli finally finds a way past the Murata goalkeeper to put the reigning champions ahead. Shortly afterwards comes the second from Paolo Casadei, a very recent former Murata player, but the two-goal cushion with which the rossoblù side reach half-time will not be enough to secure all three points. Murata, in fact, pull one back 5’ into the second half through Belloni, another ex on the night just like Moretti, who levels it up six minutes later, also capitalising on the numerical superiority created by the second yellow shown to Busignani. As mentioned, this draw benefits Folgore but also La Fiorita, who thanks to their win over Cailungo climb back into the top-four lounge, dislodging Murata from fourth place. Bernardi gives Montegiardino the lead and then scores three more times after the break, following Cailungo’s temporary equaliser, which comes from a Gasperoni own goal. Mariotti is also on target in the final 5-1 scoreline. Folgore have a much tougher time of it against Domagnano, who concede first after 5’ to Pasqualini and again on 16’ to captain Bernardi. The Wolves, however, reduce the deficit at the end of the first half through Gracik, only to concede twice more after the interval, when Chezzi and Bernardi again open up what looks like a relatively safe gap for the giallorossoneri. In reality Domagnano remain firmly in the contest and manage to climb almost all the way back thanks to goals from Bollini and Faetanini. Their 4-3, though, arrives practically on the final whistle: Folgore can therefore bring home a sixth straight win and continue their pursuit of first place, while Domagnano’s run ends after three positive results in a row. Behind the giallorossi, Libertas and especially Tre Penne open up some breathing space, with the latter sweeping aside San Giovanni to move within three points of eighth place, currently occupied by Domagnano themselves. Ugolini quickly replies to Tre Penne’s opener scored by Contato. The side from San Marino City have to wait until the closing minutes of the first half to get back in front: Ercolani makes it 2-1, 3-1 comes via a Rossi own goal and Gamba signs off for 4-1. Ugolini strikes again at the start of the second half, but Tre Penne resume their barrage with Ercolani, then Gamba twice and finally Contato, before San Giovanni find their third and last goal of the evening through Schiano. Dominella then starts a new phase of rapid biancazzurri scoring: after him, Gamba, Ercolani and once more Gamba all get on the scoresheet, the latter making it 12-3 and sealing his five-goal haul. While Tre Penne return to winning ways after two defeats, Virtus are held to a draw by Libertas, losing further ground on a Juvenes-Dogana side in irresistible form. Libertas strike first through Taddei. Aruci equalises on the stroke of half-time and then, after Lonfernini saves a penalty from Alex Stefanelli, Virtus complete the turnaround through Pascucci. On 59’ Libertas have another chance from the spot, this time a double-penalty: as before, Lonfernini wins his duel with Stefanelli. But Virtus then lose Aruci to a second yellow and Libertas make full use of the man advantage to level the game in the first minute of added time. Francesco Rossi scores the goal that seals the 2-2. Cosmos return to winning ways, and it is a doubly precious victory because it allows Muccioli’s men to leapfrog their opponents on the night, namely Pennarossa. The latter find themselves two goals down at half-time due to Dominici’s opener and an own goal by Cecchetti. Brighi pulls one back at the start of the second half and then quickly responds again after Bacciocchi has made it 3-1. But it is not enough for Casadei’s side to complete the comeback, because Cosmos pull away again thanks to strikes from Guerra, Ceccaroli and Righi, forcing the Chiesanuova outfit – who also lose Selva to a second yellow near the end – to a fourth consecutive defeat and to drop into fourth-from-bottom place. In stark contrast, Juvenes-Dogana have no intention of easing off, taking a fifth win in a row on the Multieventi court and claiming a second major scalp after that of Fiorentino. This time it is Tre Fiori who fall under the blows of Levani’s team, who open the scoring on 7’ with a powerful right-foot finish at the near post by Cavalli and then, after conceding the equaliser on the quarter-hour (a Paesini deflection into his own net from a Lorenzo Burioni diagonal), go back in front with a low drive from Bologna, finishing off a two-on-one counter-attack led by Cavalli. Gianni goes close to making it 3-1 (hitting the post after a storming solo run) before Juvenes-Dogana do in fact find the third, punishing Tre Fiori’s poor use of the flying goalkeeper. Chezzi robs the ball out wide and immediately shoots towards the goal left unguarded by Andreani, who can only watch. After the break Elia Cecchetti does well to deny Michele Casadei, while it takes three difficult saves from Andreani (all on Cavalli) to keep the deficit at least at two. Cecchetti has to pull down the shutters again on Lorenzo Burioni, while shortly afterwards brother Lorenzo fails to get the decisive touch from close range on a Toccaceli free-kick. The post comes to Juvenes-Dogana’s rescue on Lorenzo Burioni’s close-range effort, while at the other end Gianni is first denied by Andreani and then by the crossbar. The scoreline “wobbles” one last time in a double chance during the same move: Cecchetti keeps out Michele Casadei’s close-range shot and, from the rebound, Filippo Burioni misses the target from a few steps out. It ends 3-1, bringing to a close, on the Tre Fiori side, a run of six straight wins. Here is the full picture from Matchday 25: Click here for the updated league table

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