Futsal: Pennarossa’s fifth place under threat as Tre Fiori try to get back in the race

Pennarossa slip up in the big match with Virtus and now feel Folgore dangerously close, just one point off fifth place thanks to their third straight win. The latest “victim” of Zonzini’s irrepressible youngsters is Cosmos, beaten 3-0 with all the goals coming after the interval: Ercolani scores the first two, before Alan Bacciocchi applies the final touch. Cosmos, who had taken points from their previous two outings, now feel Domagnano breathing down their necks. The Wolves end their mini losing streak (two games) by coming from behind to beat Faetano, moving to within a point of the eighth place currently occupied by Franchino’s Gialloverdi. It’s Luca Fortunati who breaks the deadlock in the day’s opener in Fiorentino, finding the net after just 3 minutes. Sensoli doesn’t wait for the quarter-hour mark to bring Domagnano back on level terms. After that, it’s the very first minutes of the second half that prove fatal for Faetano. Straight from the restart, Davide Dolcini pounces to make it 2-1; barely 60 seconds later, Santarini sets what will be the final score at 3-1. Shortly afterwards Faetano coach Matteo Selva is sent off, and with the match almost over, goalkeeper Rastelli – the Gialloblù shot-stopper – also sees red. Murata sweep past the Juvenes Dogana hurdle as well and, with Virtus also winning, maintain their substantial lead over the chasing pack, allowing Spada’s men to mathematically clinch top spot with four games to spare. Felici opens the scoring on 8 minutes, and soon after comes Aruci’s second and Mattioli’s third from the penalty spot. Aruci strikes again for a 4-0 lead in black and white, briefly blemished by Busignani’s own goal, who, however, makes amends later in the match with a brace, either side of Mattioli’s second of the evening. It finishes 7-1, and there is also a six-goal margin in La Fiorita’s win over Cailungo. In this case Pietrangeli’s Gialloblù – now on four wins in a row and, taking advantage of Tre Penne’s rest day, also up to third place on their own – keep a perfect clean sheet. The first half closes at 2-0, with Bernardi scoring on 9 minutes and Raschi doubling the lead in stoppage time. The Gialloblù’s attacking output then increases markedly after the break, when they add four more goals through Giuccioli, Pellegrini, Tassitano and Bernardi again.

There was certainly plenty of anticipation for the derby between Fiorentino and Tre Fiori, a sort of “eliminator” to determine who could still believe in reaching the play-offs and who could not. Bugli’s Gialloblù prevail, cutting their deficit – helped by Faetano’s defeat – by three points to a sunnier part of the table, although the four-point gap still to be made up requires a decisive change of pace from now until the end of the regular season. The star performer of the night is Severi, whose brace between the 9th and 18th minute of the first half puts the contest on the right track, with Fiorentino responding far too late, pulling one back through Ceccaroli in the first minute of stoppage time. The Rossoblù are in serious, perhaps irretrievable trouble, just as San Giovanni have long been out of the running, although they do at least enjoy the small satisfaction of ending their long points drought by taking a draw off Libertas. The latter had been hoping to move clearly ahead of Faetano, but with this point they overtake them only thanks to the head-to-head record. And it could have been worse for Levani’s men, who went 2-0 up through Paesini and Giorgini only to be overturned by Gianluca Donati, Zafferani and Gracik, before Selva, from the spot on 54 minutes, salvages their evening at least in part. Six goals in Domagnano and six goals as well at the Acquaviva sports hall, but not shared out equally as in San Giovanni – Libertas. Here Virtus claim the scalp of Pennarossa, producing a strong reaction after Angelini’s opener and ultimately sealing three points that allow them to keep La Fiorita at a safe distance and avoid losing further ground on leaders Murata. After Angelini’s goal, Cevoli takes advantage of first-half stoppage time to level matters. That moment acts as a springboard for Michelotti’s Neroverdi, who immediately find a 2-1 lead through Pasqualini and then race away to 4-1 thanks to strikes from Morini and Belloni. Pennarossa are left only with the consolation of the final say – Timpani’s 4-2 on 60 minutes – but not with that of avoiding a sharp return to defeat – and the dangerous approach of Folgore – after Monday’s rediscovered win over Tre Fiori.

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