Futsal: goalkeeper’s hat-trick rescues Virtus in late fixture

Virtus salvaged the evening at the Multieventi thanks to a hat-trick from their own goalkeeper. Pennarossa had gone three goals clear and, with 9 minutes to go, everything seemed settled. Instead, as so often happens in futsal, the flying goalkeeper tactic shakes things up and solves problems. With five men camped in the opposition half, Virtus managed to wipe out the entire deficit. What is much rarer, however, is that it should be the goalkeeper himself – not an outfield player wearing a different-coloured bib, but the actual goalkeeper – who scores all the goals required. Yet that is exactly what happened last night. Angelo Casadei took Virtus by the scruff of the neck and led them to a draw which at least allows them to keep their one-point lead over Domagnano, even if it costs them the chance to stay in touch with La Fiorita. Pennarossa, meanwhile, had been savouring the prospect of closing right up on Juvenes-Dogana (beaten on Friday by Tre Fiori), but instead must settle for clawing back just a single point on the Biancorossoazzurri, while their cushion over Cosmos behind them remains unchanged (+4). At the Multieventi it was Virtus who opened the scoring, through Morganti. Podeschi equalised immediately afterwards, sparking a red-and-white surge completed by a Sensoli own goal that put Pennarossa in front and then Podeschi’s strike for 3-1. Paolo Casadei reduced the arrears before half-time, but Pennarossa came out of the break fired up, adding two more goals through Rosa and Brighi – a goalkeeper himself. Coach Pollini had already opted to play the flying goalkeeper card, which had not paid off on Brighi’s goal. But at 5-2 the only option was clearly to persist. And this is where Angelo Casadei truly proved to be the extra man for the Acquaviva side. In the space of seven minutes, from the 51st to the 58th, the number 18 struck a hat-trick that spared Virtus defeat. In fact, at the death Sensoli even had, from the second penalty spot, the chance to complete a sensational turnaround: Brighi saved, Sensoli then forced the rebound over the line, but the referee had already blown for full-time before the ball went in. So the goal did not stand. In the 50th minute, shortly before his hat-trick, it had been Angelo Casadei himself who saved Podeschi’s double-penalty that would have made it 6-2. In short, Casadei proved decisive at both ends of the court for a Virtus side that remains fifth, albeit missing the chance to capitalise on Domagnano’s slip and forced to see their gap to the Fab Four grow. Here is the full picture from Matchday 27: Click here for the updated table.

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