League: Relentless Virtus, fine comeback from San Marino Academy

Virtus are showing no signs of slowing down. Not even La Fiorita can halt the leaders’ charge, still boasting a perfect record after seven matchdays. Saturday’s big match is unlocked on 36 minutes, when Michele Rinaldi powers home the ball delivered into the box by Buonocunto from a set piece. The lead is doubled at the start of the second half: La Fiorita’s defence struggle to clear, Tortori bursts into the area and, with a scruffy finish, lifts the ball over Zavoli. Late on, Manfredini throws on Danilo Rinaldi, making his return after a long spell on the sidelines following an injury suffered last season against Juvenes-Dogana. It takes the no.16 just over a minute to get his name on the scoresheet, pouncing on a poor clearance from the black-and-greens’ defence and coolly dinking the ball over Passaniti in the one-on-one. The Montegiardino side can find neither the time nor the means to avoid their first league defeat, which also increases the gap to the top. There is another 2-1 scoreline in Fiorentino, where Domagnano complete a perfect week by sealing a third win in as many games, including the cup quarter-finals. The two goals that send the Wolves 2-0 up are almost identically named – consonant aside. Babboni breaks the deadlock for the Giallorossi inside 4 minutes with a precise angled finish, while Baffoni is responsible for doubling the lead with a thunderbolt fired under the bar. De Biagi pulls one back late in the half with a fierce strike from the heart of the penalty area, but it is not enough for the Chiesanuova outfit to avoid a seventh defeat in seven. San Giovanni “avenge” their elimination from the Coppa Titano BKN301 by handing Fiorentino a third consecutive league defeat. It ends 2-0, with the scoreline entirely shaped in the latter part of the first half. D’Angeli opens it up with a long-range diagonal effort, before Sartini closes it out right at the end of the half: he beats Benedettini with a header from Boldrini’s cross, despite the goalkeeper’s desperate attempt to claw the ball away. The referee rules that the ball had crossed the line before the Rossoblù keeper’s intervention, allowing San Giovanni to celebrate a 2-0 win that they protect all the way to the final whistle. This victory enables Tognacci’s men to get moving again in the table after three defeats on the spin. The Under-22s also get back to picking up points thanks to a 2-2 draw earned from behind against Juvenes-Dogana, who race into a 2-0 first-half lead courtesy of a mutual exchange of assists between Merli and Stella. For the opener, the latter sets up the former, who beats Battistini with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box. For the second, Merli turns provider and Stella the finisher: the no.95’s angled shot from the edge of the area is unstoppable. The double blow does not floor Cecchetti’s youngsters, who instead shift up a gear after the break, first pulling one back through Famiglietti (a swivel and finish on a pinpoint cross from Giocondi) and then levelling thanks to D’Addario’s powerful, precise left-footed strike from distance. Juvenes-Dogana are thus checked after two wins on the spin. It also finishes 2-2 between Folgore and Libertas in the 18:15 kick-off. The first exchange of blows comes between the 7th and 8th minute. Folgore take the lead through former Libertas man Golinucci (a precise header from a Simeoni cross), but the Granata hit straight back with a right-footed strike from Santoni, set up by Zabre’s dummy. The Giallorossoneri retake the lead from a corner whipped to the near post, where Sylla glances it on for Fall, who chests the ball into the net. Libertas’ second goal also arrives from a corner situation. The ball is worked to the opposite flank, where Tamagnini fires in a cross for Greco, who finishes first time into the back of the net. With 13 minutes remaining, Folgore are reduced to ten men when Sylla receives his second yellow card. Despite this, and despite Libertas’ late siege, the scoreline remains unchanged to the final whistle. Libertas are back on the board after the defeat to Domagnano, while Folgore fail to build on their previous-round victory over San Giovanni. These are the results from Saturday’s early fixtures on Matchday 7, excluding the 18:15 game between Libertas and Folgore:

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