Futsal: Pennarossa claim a thrilling, hard-fought late fixture

No second straight win and no double leap up the table for Cailungo. Pennarossa return to winning ways and move back to within four points of La Fiorita, while also warding off a possible attack from Domagnano, who are in action this evening. The match at the Acquaviva sports hall has no outright master. On the contrary, it is tight and entertaining. The early stages belong to Pennarossa, who create two big chances through Angelini: on the first Serra does well to deny him, on the second the white-and-red pivot is wasteful after a perfect assist from Gasperoni. The latter also has regrets over a theoretically straightforward close-range touch after a counter-attack led by Maiani. Cailungo reorganise and, after slightly wayward efforts from Moroni and Meloni and a blocked shot by Gianni, seriously test Bizzocchi through Flammini, who weaves between two opponents and then tries to catch the Pennarossa goalkeeper out with a classic toe-poke, but without success. Shortly after, another massive chance for the red-and-greens: Meloni leads a two-on-one and times the pass perfectly for Gianni, denied by a superb intervention from Bizzocchi. Oddone tries to wake Pennarossa up with two powerful left-foot strikes, both just over. Then Verri forces Serra into a save from a tight angle. Cailungo are not intimidated. In fact, they respond by taking the lead: a long ball from Serra finds Antonelli, who does well to hold it up for Meloni. The number 5’s right-foot volley loops over Bizzocchi and makes it 1-0. The Borgo Maggiore side survive – not without difficulty – a dangerous ball whipped in by Ceccoli, and then also a left-foot toe-poke from Toccaceli that crashes off the post. But there is a dangerous delivery in the Pennarossa area too: from a throw-in routine, Meloni looks for Antonelli, who is only just beaten to it by the fingertips of Bizzocchi. Ceccoli wastes a one-on-one with Serra after an excellent one-two with Andolina. Then Toccaceli shoots across goal but does not put enough power into his left foot. Verri also has a sighter for 1-1, but cannot find a way past Serra. We reach the 25th minute. Here Pennarossa finally find the equaliser thanks to a thunderous, curling strike from Gasperoni: the ball flies into the top corner and there is nothing the Cailungo keeper can do. A minute later, Oddone completes the comeback by scoring directly from a free-kick. Pennarossa could even have the chance to make it 3-1, but the woodwork again – the same post struck by Toccaceli – denies Oddone’s effort. Shortly after, Oddone switches off after a challenge with Rossini (not deemed a foul): Meloni nips in and shoots immediately, hitting the outside of the post. The last clear chance of the first half falls to Verri, played through by Gasperoni: once again Serra pulls down the shutters.

In the second half the Cailungo keeper is called into action straight away to save a left-foot volley from Oddone – not powerful but very well placed. On 34 minutes the Borgo Maggiore side drop deep and then break at great speed. The transition ends at the feet of Antonelli, who spots and picks out Rossini all alone at the far post: a simple tap-in and parity restored. But it lasts only two minutes: Oddone receives on the wing and uses the toe-poke to make it 3-2 and complete his brace. The number 21 in white and red tries again shortly after, set up by Maiani: this time not with the toe-poke but side-footed, the ball drifting just wide. Gasperoni goes even closer to 4-2 with a left-foot rocket that clips the crossbar. Once that storm has passed, Cailungo go back to knocking on Bizzocchi’s door. He has to produce a brilliant reflex save to turn away Lotti’s powerful right-foot effort, and then can only breathe a sigh of relief as Flammini’s close-range effort, after a superb Cailungo move from a throw-in, goes wide. Even so, Cailungo’s forcing continues and midway through the half they get their reward. Again it all starts from a cleverly taken throw-in. Lotti waits for the perfect moment to feed Flammini, who sweeps the ball first time past Bizzocchi. Once more, Pennarossa respond immediately. From distance, Maiani sets himself and unleashes a driven, diagonal right-footer that beats Serra, who had just been called into action by Verri. The latter is centimetres away from an inadvertent goal on a powerful ball across the face from Toccaceli. Then Serra even holds onto a powerful, unchallenged shot from Maiani, close to a brace. In any case, Pennarossa manage to lock down this hard-earned victory. Toccaceli makes sure of it on 53 minutes with a dribble-and-shot from outside the area. Shortly after, the same number 10 in white and red takes his frustration out on the crossbar, guilty of stopping his superb left-footer from the wing. In the meantime Cailungo also have their last chance: bravo Bizzocchi in denying Meloni’s right-foot strike. A vibrant, highly enjoyable match finishes 5-3. This evening Juvenes-Dogana and Domagnano will round off the matchday when they face each other in the late game at the Multieventi.

Below is the partial picture from the 10th matchday of the league:

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