League: Tre Fiori stay +3, Pennarossa and Folgore celebrate at the death

Tre Fiori win, and Virtus win as well. With 180 minutes left in the regular season, nothing changes at the very top of the table. Libertas and Murata, opponents of the league leaders and the reigning champions, do not offer enough resistance to shake things up. Tre Fiori allow the Granata something only at the very start: Tomassini threads the ball into the box for Morelli, who from almost the byline forces Nardi into a not particularly difficult save with his feet. Pini’s powerful left-footed effort is the first attempt from Girolomoni’s men to get their noses in front. The second is a cross from Scarcella that ends up just slightly too long for Prandelli. He will only have to wait another 10 minutes to celebrate. Nice combination on the right between Bernardi and Benedettini: the latter’s assist is exquisite for Prandelli who, unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, has no trouble beating Manzaroli. The crossbar saves the Libertas keeper from Benedettini’s long-range strike, but he consoles himself on 37 minutes by twisting perfectly onto Sirri’s left-footed cross: ball into the corner and 2-0. The full-back has a huge chance to kill off the contest early on 42 minutes: Benedettini returns the favour by sending him clean through on Manzaroli, but the number 23 hesitates at the key moment and eventually blasts over. Sirri is also involved in another key episode of the first half: it is on him that Fabio Tomassini, on 44 minutes, dives in with the tackle that earns him his second yellow card of the day. Down to ten men, Libertas try as best they can to contain Tre Fiori’s desire to extend their lead to three. A stunning Manzaroli save on Prandelli prevents the Granata from conceding a third as early as the 6th minute of the restart. Shortly after, Rea is left unmarked from a corner but heads over. From another corner, Bernardi goes for the near post, guarded by Morelli. Tre Fiori’s forcing pays off on 70 minutes: Pini’s cross is so precise that Prandelli does not even need to jump to turn the ball into the net for his 21st goal of the league season – putting him just one behind Domagnano’s Bonetti. Late on, Prandelli also has the chance to complete his hat-trick but shoots over, making the same mistake as Dolcini had from a position only slightly more central. Also to note is Sirri’s thunderous effort against the junction of post and bar from a corner and Libertas’ final attempt at a consolation goal: a Morelli free-kick that flies just over. The Granata lose after four games unbeaten. The leaders keep their cushion over the chasing pack, still headed by Virtus.

Against bottom side Murata, it is clear from the outset that the main problem for the Neroverdi will be breaking the deadlock. A problem that drags on for over half the half, a spell in which Bizzotto’s men, despite constantly pushing forward, produce only a Benincasa header wide (after a fine De Santis cross) and a long-range effort from Buonocunto, easily gathered by Sias. The turning point comes on 24 minutes: Amati threads the ball through for Buonocunto, who immediately spots and feeds Ciacci’s central run. The rest is done by the San Marino midfielder, who keeps his cool to beat Sias one-on-one. With the game’s cork popped, everything becomes easier for Virtus. Two minutes later, Ciacci is celebrating again, steering home Piscitella’s cross to perfection. On 29 minutes Lombardi bursts into the box and goes down under a challenge from Isaraj. Buonocunto steps up from the spot; he does not find the corner, but he does not need to, as Sias commits to one side and is beaten for the third time. Benincasa again goes close to getting on the scoresheet with a header that this time goes over. Sias has to intervene twice in the space of a minute on well-placed efforts by Lombardi and De Santis, before Tahiri, for the first time, tests Passaniti with a powerful right-footed strike that looks destined to dip under the bar. The Virtus keeper gets a vital hand to it and concedes the corner; from the ensuing counter, Lombardi skips away from two opponents and from the byline cuts the ball back for Piscitella, who shoots firmly but straight and is denied by the ever-alert Sias. Tahiri opens the second half by calling Passaniti into action for a second time, but the keeper is equal to it. Then the Neroverdi monologue resumes, interrupted only occasionally by Murata’s forays forward, such as the one that, on 56 minutes, sees Labas beat Passaniti with the decisive deflection off De Lucia. In the meantime, Benincasa has squandered a massive chance, clean through on Sias. The Murata keeper then has to produce more top saves to keep out Piscitella’s turn (58’) and De Lucia’s effort (67’). No intervention is needed from him when Virtus’ forwards miss the target from great positions – Scappini in particular. Zenoni’s introduction adds extra spark to Virtus’ attack, with the Neroverdi not content with a two-goal cushion. The former Pennarossa man puts a golden chance on a plate for Scappini, who this time makes no mistake from close range. The centre-forward, who in the meantime passes up another huge opportunity from a perfect Amati ball, redeems himself by setting up Zenoni’s low drive that makes it 4-1 Virtus in the second minute of added time.

Folgore confirm their status as draw specialists. At the end of the derby with Juvenes Dogana comes a fifth consecutive “X” for Lasagni’s men, which this time, though, they will hardly complain about, given how it came about. Juvenes Dogana in fact throw away a two-goal lead. After Gianmaria Borghini’s free-kick that shaves the post, Boldrini’s side break the deadlock on 8 minutes with Pedini, who is in the right place at the far post to meet the ball, expertly delivered by Amadori. The latter doubles the advantage halfway through the half, also taking advantage of a serious lapse in the opposing defence, who are sliced open through the middle by the biancorossoazzurri forward, who then shows great composure to lob De Angelis. Falciano’s response comes from a set piece: Davide Colonna throws up a barrier to block Augusto Garcia Rufer’s effort from point-blank range. At the end of the half, Azael swings in a corner and Tourè’s far-post header drifts wide. Azael tries again straight after the restart with a curling left-footed effort from the edge that only just clears the bar, with Colonna beaten. A few minutes later, the other Garcia Rufer, Augusto, halves Folgore’s deficit, reacting quickest to the rebound after Raschi’s thunderous strike crashes off the crossbar. At this point Juvenes’ certainties begin to wobble. Raschi passes up a gilt-edged chance for 2-2 from Pancotti’s perfect cross. Then, on the hour mark, Castorina hits the side-netting from a corner delivered by Raschi himself. Pancotti also gives those present the illusion of a goal with a left-footed free-kick that whistles just wide. Falciano’s siege is relentless and in the end wears down Juvenes Dogana’s final resistance just as the game is entering stoppage time. Cavalli floats one of the last useful balls into the penalty area; Colonna stays on his line and Bernardi beats him to it, getting just enough of a touch to steer it into the bottom corner.

The match at Fiorentino is also decided in stoppage time. Here it is a vital victory for Pennarossa, who cling on to the last carriage of the play-off train thanks to Socciarelli. Cosmos are the better side early on. Ambrosini’s free-kick (over) and, above all, Gjurchinoski’s shot – brilliantly saved by Filippo Tordella – look like solid signs pointing to a yellow-green opener. But it does not come. Once past that tricky spell, Pennarossa try to stir through a long-range effort from Pintore, easily dealt with by Semprini. Far more dangerous is Zahir’s effort just after the halfway point of the first half: this time Semprini has to fly to keep his clean sheet intact. Zahir again shoots after a fine one-two with Pintore, the ball drifting just wide by a matter of centimetres. The number 23 in white and red confirms himself as the most dangerous player on the pitch at the start of the second half as well: his superb right-footed volley forces Semprini into a difficult save. Cosmos reappear in attack around the hour mark. Santi has to clear off the line for Filippo Tordella after an unconvincing intervention by the Pennarossa keeper on Gjurchinoski’s cross. On 73 minutes comes a huge chance for 1-0 for the Chiesanuova side. Cosmos appeal for a foul that is not given and are caught badly exposed on a counter-attack led by Socciarelli, who opts to ignore the completely unmarked Tumidei and tries to finish himself in the one-on-one with Semprini: a choice that does not pay off, as the ball rolls wide. Something similar happens in the other penalty area a couple of minutes later. Andretta flicks the ball over Grieco with a sombrero but then, just a few metres from Filippo Tordella, shoots badly, he too ignoring a better-placed team-mate – in this case Ambrosini. It all seems to be pointing towards a goalless draw. Instead, on 87 minutes, Socciarelli throws himself bravely at Depaoli’s cross and first time tucks the ball inside the post, making up for his earlier miss and, above all, keeping Pennarossa in the hunt for the final play-off spot.

Here is the full rundown of Matchday 28 of the 2025-26 Campionato Sammarinese:

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