League: tenth win for Virtus, Academy and Fiorentino celebrate too

Virtus move into double figures in the wins column and, thanks to a 3-0 victory over Faetano, tighten their grip on top spot in the Campionato Sammarinese. The Acquaviva club rack up their tenth success of the campaign – a seventh in a row – in a one-sided encounter, one of the early fixtures of Matchday 13. At Fiorentino it is Bizzotto’s side who start better, with Tortori and Benincasa quickly finding their range against Forconesi’s goal. Ricchiuti’s Faetano, though, are not mere spectators and try to reply with a good long-range effort from Zonzini, met by an alert Passaniti. The Neroverdi continue to press, especially through Tortori, who however cannot make the impact he would like. The deadlock is broken shortly before the interval: a pinpoint ball from the always elegant Buonocunto from just inside the opposition half picks out Pecci at the back post, and he plays a first-time pass across for the unmarked Benincasa in the area, who has the simple task of turning it in. The second half could not begin better for Virtus: Buonocunto swings in a corner, the Gialloblu fail to clear and Alessandro Golinucci pounces to make it 2-0. Ten minutes after doubling their lead, just before the hour, Bizzotto’s team add a third: Buonocunto wins a challenge about 20 metres out and, once inside the box, threads a tight pass to Benincasa, who tucks it into the far corner. It’s a brace for the Neroverdi forward and the eighth assist of the number ten’s season (a league best). Late on, Virtus have the chance to extend their advantage when Rizzo bursts down the left and unleashes a powerful left-footer, but the ball crashes off the crossbar. It matters little to Bizzotto’s men who, while waiting for La Fiorita – in action tomorrow at 15:00 against Folgore – move four points clear in second place ahead of the Gialloblu from Montegiardino. It is a positive day also for San Marino Academy, who return to winning ways after more than a month. The Titani defeat Pennarossa 2-1, who wake up too late and suffer a second straight loss. In Montecchio, Cecchetti’s side start much the better and almost take the lead as early as the 8th minute: a towering header from Marco Gasperoni is steered towards the corner, but Barbieri produces a superb save to deny him. The Titani keep pushing and midway through the half they take a fully deserved lead: from Alberto Riccardi’s cross, it is Gega who gets his head to the ball but, incredibly, sends it into his own net, leaving Barbieri helpless. Pennarossa cannot find a response and Academy continue to press in search of a second goal, which arrives on 56 minutes. A free-kick from Pietro Renzi is met by the head of D’Addario, who directs it into the corner; the ball hits the post but the quickest to react to the rebound is Federico Ciacci, who makes it 2-0. The game looks wrapped up for the Titani, but just before the interval Pennarossa pull one back to keep their hopes alive: Carrozzo surges down the left and, once in the box, squares for Famiglietti, who controls, shifts it onto his right and scores the archetypal goal against his former club. Cecchetti’s side, however, hold firm until the end and secure three points that give them valuable breathing space in the lower reaches of the table. To compound their defeat, Pennarossa also have to note Gega’s sending-off late on. Fiorentino are also back to winning ways – a fourth victory in their last five – thanks to a 2-0 success over Domagnano. The result lifts Tarini’s team, for the moment, up to third place. In Montecchio, the first half is dominated by a thick fog that disrupts both sides’ plans. If chances are virtually non-existent before the break, the second half – which starts only after a check, ultimately a positive one, between referees and captains – is a completely different story. Barely 20 seconds have passed when El Ardoudi emerges from the fog to put Tarini’s Rossoblu in front. Fiorentino are lifted and just a few minutes later they double their lead. Galeone is brought down in the area and Luci points to the spot. Abouzziane steps up, makes no mistake and converts for 2-0. Fiorentino’s one-two proves fatal for Rossi’s side, who are unable to get back into the contest. A reminder that there will be five more matches tomorrow, completing Matchday 13 of the Campionato Sammarinese (all, as always, live via streaming and on-demand on the Titani.TV platform ). Here is the partial picture after today’s early fixtures:

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