Futsal: San Giovanni claim the derby as Libertas officially finish bottom

San Giovanni returned to winning ways, defeating Libertas 4-2 in the derby that wrapped up Matchday 28 of the futsal league. The victory allows Franchino’s side to “avenge” the defeat in the reverse fixture (Libertas’ only win of the season) but in any case does not keep their play-off hopes alive, which vanished as soon as Cailungo, the previous evening, had got the better of Tre Fiori. Now only Faetano remain in contention with the Rossoverdi for the last berth giving access to the post-season. The late fixture at the Acquaviva Sports Hall is unlocked inside two minutes, when Rossi, picked out from a kick-in, lashes in under the crossbar, the ball bouncing a hand’s breadth over the goal line. Francioni twice goes close to doubling the lead, narrowly missing Inverardi’s goal on both occasions. Libertas threaten with a toe-poke from distance by Zanotti: Agostini parries centrally and Sammaritani ghosts in between the static San Giovanni shirts to try and beat the Rossoneri keeper from close range, but fails to convert. At the other end Severi forces Inverardi into a save with a diagonal strike from the flank and then, from a free-kick, crashes his effort against the upright. Berardi’s toe-poke, which goes just wide, is the prelude to another major opportunity for Severi who, set up by Zonzini in perfect shooting position, is denied by a monumental Inverardi. Libertas survive this spell of pressure and punish with their first real chance. The equaliser stems from a free-kick that Sammaritani drives low into the heart of the area, where Tamagnini arrives on cue to turn it home. San Giovanni, though, waste no time licking their wounds. Within two minutes Severi wins the ball back in his own half and – after combining several times with Volpinari – slots past Inverardi with ease to restore the Rossoneri’s lead. Having “made peace” with the goal, Franchino’s number 99 starts to enjoy himself. Barely a minute after his 2-1 strike, he spots Inverardi off his line and outwits him with a lob from the halfway line. It is 3-1 at the break.

Zanotti opens the second half with a low drive that does not catch Agostini out. The response from the Rossoneri – playing in blue yesterday – comes with a dribble and shot by Severi, the ball just clearing the bar. A fortuitous deflection by Zanotti on Francioni’s long-range effort gives Inverardi a scare, and shortly afterwards the Libertas goalkeeper again has to deal with yet another effort from Severi, determined to complete his hat-trick. But Libertas are in it too and go close through Tamagnini, who does well to drive through the middle between Berardi and Rossi but is unlucky with the finish: the ball hits the inside of the post and runs along the goal line without going over it. Still, the number 14 in granata does not lose heart and, after regaining possession in the centre of the court, isolates himself one-on-one out wide and then lifts a delicate, deadly dink over the onrushing Agostini: Rossi attempts a goal-line clearance but cannot keep it out. San Giovanni look to react immediately. And they do. After Volpinari blazes over with his right from a good position, and Podeschi shoots from too tight an angle at the other end, Agostini releases Severi, who gets away from Zanotti and then thunders a left-footed strike under the bar past Inverardi. Agostini is alert to Sammaritani’s turn and shot; then the duel resumes from Inverardi’s long throw: Sammaritani evades Agostini’s advance but momentarily loses sight of the ball; when he regains it, he opts for an audacious back-heel finish, missing by centimetres what would have been a goal of real class. The moment comes when Inverardi is called upon to push up into San Giovanni’s half. And it is the granata keeper himself who threads a pass in behind for Sammaritani, who lays it off for Tamagnini, whose right-footed effort – almost a certain goal – is repelled by an excellent Agostini. Berardi’s wicked free-kick – the ball shaving the post – and another Severi piledriver beaten away by Inverardi are the final chances of a match that gives San Giovanni a win useful for morale but not for the standings. Equally, a verdict is sealed for Libertas: they are now mathematically unable to climb off the bottom of the Single Group table.

Here is the full programme from Matchday 28 of the league:

Click here for the updated table.