League: Record-chasing Tre Penne, Zavoli denies Tre Fiori as Virtus close in

The City derby goes Tre Penne’s way, with the league leaders taking control after the break in a match played largely in Murata’s half. Yet despite the many chances created, the first half ended goalless – thanks also to an excellent Gueye, sharp and brave as on the occasion of his challenge on Dormi, in which Ceci’s playmaker comes off worse and is forced to withdraw after just a quarter of an hour. Angelini’s game plan was to hit on the counter, but the Bianconeri were rarely dangerous, unlike Tre Penne, who broke through and deservedly claimed the win in the second half. The goal that unlocked the contest arrived just before the hour mark, when Tisselli turned a loose ball in the box into gold after a pinball situation following a corner. Officially it goes down as an own goal by the unfortunate Gega, but the merit of the Tre Penne defender is undeniable. Statistically, Murata’s first shot on target came in the 65th minute, but Ura did not trouble Migani. At the other end, Pieri had his tap-in for 2-0 ruled out, but the second goal did arrive on 81 minutes from the now familiar Ceccaroli–Gai combination. The San Marino winger draws a double-marking, opening up space for the captain, who is lethal from the edge of the box. A fully deserved win for Tre Penne, convincing in both phases of play and very much looking like a side targeting top spot: the only team to have already observed their bye week in the second half of the season, they now have Cosmos – two points ahead – in their sights. The clash between Libertas and Tre Fiori, by contrast, ends goalless, and closes with a sending-off deep into stoppage time. The player dismissed is De Falco, the Gialloblù captain. Over the course of the game, the chances could be counted on one hand and almost all of them fell to the Fiorentino side. Starting with the clearest of the match, which arrived exactly midway through the first half. Gjurchinoski broke away on the counter and went down in the box after a challenge with Perretta, who was booked by Beltrano, having deemed there were grounds to award a penalty. From the spot the Croatian opened up his body, only to find Zavoli standing in his way. On this weekend of penalties saved by San Marino goalkeepers, Zavoli joins a list that already included Colonna and Simone Benedettini from yesterday’s early kick-offs. Less demanding was his save on Rizzo’s header on 37 minutes, the same skill with which Bucci forced Semprini into action at the end of the half. There were no goals after the break either, despite Tre Fiori going very close through De Falco and Gjurchinoski. The captain went first, shaving the bar with a free-kick from the edge on 55 minutes, before threading a through ball on 73 minutes for the forward, who once again had to bow to Zavoli’s inspired afternoon. Libertas kept their sting for the final minutes, almost pulling off a smash-and-grab in the 89th minute when Barone’s wide free-kick picked out Gregorio all alone around the penalty spot. On his reunion with his former side, he failed to enforce the most famous of football’s unwritten rules and spared his opponents for the day, with whom he had shared the first part of the season. Tre Fiori slip further away from the summit, while Libertas confirm themselves as awkward customers for the league’s high-flyers – and it should be said that the Granata have everything they need to be in that bracket themselves and will want to prove it again in the post-season. The match at the Federico Crescentini Stadium in Fiorentino was livelier, even if in the end a single goal separated Virtus and Juvenes-Dogana. It was the one scored by Angeli in the 8th minute, capitalising on good work by Sorrentino and Acquarelli’s mistimed rush out to beat Gentilini from close range. Bizzotto’s men did not suffer too much from Buonocunto’s enforced absence and came close to doubling their lead through Tortori, before almost being caught out by Merli’s rocket, which flew just wide. At the other end Gentilini had to work to keep out Tortori, then came off his line bravely to deal with a corner swung towards the near post and intended for the set-piece specialist Angeli. Juvenes-Dogana piled on the pressure towards the end of the half, but Passaniti produced a superb save on Salvemini’s curling effort from the edge of the area. After the restart D’Angeli tried his luck but with little accuracy, while Gori arrived just in time to shut down Salvemini when the hard work seemed done. He then repeated the feat in the opposition box, as Tortori lined himself up to volley from short range, only to lose his footing at the crucial moment. It then took all of Gentilini’s class and reflexes to deny that same number 14 a brilliant toe-poke finish after he had evaded a double-marking. The scoreline remained finely balanced, with Juvenes-Dogana pushing to turn it into a positive result: despite the pressure and effort, Amati’s men were ultimately too wasteful through Benedetti and Giacomo Borghini. Passaniti was only really called into action to deal with Benedetti’s piledriver, while Stella’s overhead kick in deep stoppage time drifted just wide of the target. Below is the full schedule for the 20th matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301. All matches are available to watch free on demand on TITANI.TV, where tomorrow afternoon the highlights of all seven fixtures will be published.

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