League: Cosmos break their duck, Gachewicz sends Faetano wild in the 95th minute

Folgore also get the better of Fiorentino and enjoy at least one night at the top of the table, while waiting for the games of Tre Penne, Virtus and above all Tre Fiori, who face Domagnano on Sunday. The Giallorossoneri rack up a third consecutive win, uncorking the Friday night curtain-raiser as early as the 4th minute, when Daidola ghosts in at the far post and turns Augusto Garcia Rufer’s inch-perfect cross into gold. De Angelis is called into his first save on Ben Kacem’s left-footed effort across goal, but at the other end an inspired Garcia Rufer lays on his second assist of the evening, this time for Ura, who opens up his foot and steers the ball where Berardi cannot reach. Fiorentino knock on De Angelis’ door again, the keeper stretching to turn away Belward’s dangerous left-footer. Then Ben Kacem lights it up once more with a venomous strike that whistles just wide: otherwise it would have been a stunning goal. The second half opens with a huge chance falling to the head of Augusto Garcia Rufer who, picked out by a delicious outside-of-the-boot cross from Pancotti, fires incredibly wide from inside the six-yard box. The former San Giovanni man tries to make amends by sending Daidola through on Berardi, who is excellent in his one-on-one. Pesenti’s low drive inches wide briefly interrupts the home side’s forcing, but Lasagni’s men soon turn the screw again until, on 56 minutes, comes the goal that virtually settles the contest. Once more the main man is Daidola, who signs his third brace in the last four games (his second in a row), a run that allows him to leapfrog Badalassi at the top of the scorers’ chart. The move develops on the counter and is started by Daidola himself, who exchanges passes with Augusto Garcia Rufer (on his third assist of the night) and, one-on-one with Berardi, opts for power – a choice that pays off handsomely. Fiorentino’s response amounts to little more than an Evaristi right-footed effort that sails into the stands and a Belward cross that is just too long for Ben Kacem, who had found a perfect shooting position. At the death, Costantini’s side make life even harder for themselves with Fratini’s dreadful foul, which earns the no. 19 an early shower. Fiorentino’s unbeaten run ends at three, while Folgore continue to sail with the wind at their backs.

Faetano halt their run of consecutive defeats (three) by settling a fiercely locked encounter with Cailungo in the 5th minute of stoppage time. Woodwork was the main theme of the clash in Acquaviva. Zonzini starts it on 5 minutes with a free-kick that crashes off the crossbar, very close to the top corner. Hirsch replies at the end of the first half, finishing off a counter-attack he himself had launched: Inzerauto’s return ball is perfect for the no. 10’s move to cut inside, and his first-time effort clips the bar before dropping behind. Ioli worries Gallinetta from a set piece, then Romano forces the Cailungo keeper into a great save after a powerful surge down the flank. Another spectacular reflex stop from the Rossoverde keeper denies Zonzini’s thunderbolt from distance. Faetano are clearly growing into the game, but can’t find the spark to break it open. That is, until the 5th minute of added time, when Morgante, from the right, swings in a cross that Gachewicz, only just on the pitch, helps on its way into the back of the net, handing Faetano their second win after their opening-day success, and lifting them above their opponents on the night as well as Fiorentino and Libertas – although the latter are yet to play their fifth match.

The other early fixture pitted together the two least prolific attacks in the league: Cosmos and San Giovanni. Andy Selva’s side come out on top and break their duck in two ways: in front of goal (they had yet to score in the league) and also in terms of victories. After a series of blanks, Cosmos carve out a huge chance on 20 minutes, with Mularoni winning a challenge and racing clear on Boujir, but getting his angled finish all wrong. Shortly afterwards, from a corner, Ceccaroli’s dummy completely wrong-foots Fabbri, who can only bring him down for a penalty. Islamaj steps up from the spot, sends Boujir the wrong way and ends the Gialloverdi’s league goal drought – tonight playing in gold shirts. Zanni goes close to an immediate equaliser with a long-range right-footer that flies just over. At the other end, Gjurchinoski looks to pick out Mossolini, who fails to make the most of a teasing cross from his team-mate. In the second half San Giovanni try to create an equaliser from two free-kicks. It is especially the first that has Semprini worried: Zanni whips in a perfect delivery onto the head of Tiraferri, who appears unmarked at the far post but nods wide. Having taken the warning, Cosmos pour forward to kill it off. Gjurchinoski skims the post with a free-kick, then Ceccaroli, pouncing on a mistake in the build-up by Meriano, makes it 2-0 with a pinpoint angled drive. Boujir stretches to turn away Hamati’s long-range effort, before Gjurchinoski steps in to seal Cosmos’ first three points, finishing off a textbook counter-attack laid on by Fermi. At the end there is even a chance for 4-0, but Boujir does brilliantly to keep out Mazzoni’s header from a corner. It is enough, however, for Cosmos to leapfrog both San Giovanni and Cailungo (pending the weekend fixtures) and to look ahead with more optimism after four far-from-satisfying matchdays. As for San Giovanni – beaten by Cosmos in the Coppa Titano as well – they are still left waiting for their first win of the season.

Here is the programme for Matchday 5 updated with the early fixtures: