League: Virtus score, suffer and defend top spot with three games to go

The four sides involved in the Coppa Titano semi-finals in midweek were back in action this afternoon, battling it out from a distance both in the title race – now a straight fight between Virtus and La Fiorita – and in the hunt for the play-off Quarter-finals, secured by finishing in the top seven, an objective shared by all the others.

Commanding display from Cosmos, who need little more than one half of football to wrap up matters against Tre Fiori. Girolomoni’s men pay the price for their Coppa Titano exertions and, after riding their luck on a couple of Badalassi efforts around the half-hour mark, they go behind from the spot. Ben Kacem is lightning quick to nip in front of Braschi, who brings him down in the box. From eleven metres, Badalassi finds the net again after more than two months, sending Nardi the wrong way on 33 minutes. Five minutes later Tre Fiori have a great chance to level, but Benedettini opts for the spectacular rather than pulling the trigger from the heart of the area. Their opponents are more clinical and score through Carbonara a minute before the interval. A cross-shot, carried goalwards by the wind, catches Nardi out and makes it 2-0. After the restart the pattern does not change, with Selva’s team striking again inside two minutes: Nardi produces a wonder save to deny Biral, but can do nothing about the close-range tap‑in from Badalassi, who completes his brace against the first San Marino club that chose to bet on him. The Gialloblù show some pride on 53 minutes, winning a penalty (handball by Fatica) which Prandelli hits down the middle to beat a specialist like Semprini. Before the end there is time for a magnificent swivel and shot from Badalassi, which clips the outside of Nardi’s right-hand post – with the goalkeeper rooted to the spot – and for a monumental block from Grassi, who throws himself in the way on 75 minutes to deny Bernardi a 3-2 goal with 15 minutes still to play. A fully deserved win thus takes shape for Cosmos, who move up to fifth place on their own, overtaking San Giovanni and Tre Penne in one fell swoop.

For the seventh week in a row, Virtus and La Fiorita preserve the gap at the top of the table. Six wins apiece and a draw in their direct clash have allowed Bizzotto’s men to approach the final sprint with a five-point cushion to manage in the upcoming fixtures with Faetano, Tre Fiori and Pennarossa. Today, against Tre Penne, the reigning champions struck at the end of the first half through Rinaldi, who scored with a right-footed effort from the edge of the area. Before that, multiple chances for Rizzo, Buonocunto and Ciacci were thwarted by the reactions of a superb Migani. After the break, Tre Penne’s quality comes to the fore and they are forced to stifle their celebrations for a stunning goal by Tommaso Guidi due to a prior push by Nigretti that is penalised. After the hour mark, Virtus survive twice by the skin of their teeth: Rinaldi steps in for Passaniti on Ricciardo’s close-range effort, and shortly afterwards the forward lacks ruthlessness when clean through on goal. De Lucia completes the clearance, hacking the ball away from near the goal line. Bizzotto’s side show they know how to suffer and – as often happens with great teams – how to capitalise on their chances. Thus, on 81 minutes, Golinucci makes a central run and is brought down in the area by Migani. An obvious penalty, entrusted to Vallocchia: the midfielder opens up his left foot and guides the ball into the far corner to make it 2-0. It is clearly not Tre Penne’s luckiest day, as shown also by a bicycle-kick from the middle of the area by Barretta, who connects with his right only to see the ball crash against the crossbar. A win of huge importance for Virtus, who can now glimpse the finish line of a second consecutive title.

La Fiorita see off Fiorentino in Montecchio, after a goalless first half in which the Montegiardino club are the brighter and more proactive side but lack the killer instinct through Lunadei and Massari. Ceci’s men break through at the start of the second half with Mazzotti, the headline act of the Gialloblù afternoon. Gasperoni recycles a corner to the opposite flank and swings it back in, where Diagne’s ill-judged header turns into an assist in the six-yard box for Mazzotti, a defender with a remarkable eye for goal. On 58 minutes comes the second goal, finished acrobatically by Affonso, who had been honoured before kick-off as Player of the Month for March. In between the two goals, Fiorentino have a double opportunity, wasted rather than taken, to restore parity through Belward and Abouzziane. Tarini’s side confirm their recent lack of familiarity with the net – a problem that certainly does not apply to Mazzotti, who completes his brace on 72 minutes, again from a corner situation. La Fiorita keep a clean sheet, and have Zavoli to thank for tipping away Dolcini’s deflected right-footed effort on 62 minutes with the score at 0-2. A thoroughly convincing performance from the Gialloblù, who bank three more than deserved points but still cannot close the gap in the standings, remaining second, five points behind the leaders.