The home stretch in the Serie D championship and Casertana have two derbies left to play, with Giugliano and Sorrento when the curtain falls on the regular season. Two matches that can even further increase the self-esteem of the Falchetti who in the final rush with four victories and a draw in the last five stages are producing a Rossini crescendo, which, like the epilogue of the previous season, opens up increasingly wider and radiant. Cangelosi’s team has already conquered, almost mathematically, the fifth position, they have mortgaged the fourth and are aiming for the third, trying to fill up and hoping that Benevento can (between Latina and Catania) stumble and leave the green light for the falchetti. On the other hand, there are the Tigers who for the first time in their history have crossed the finishing line of the play offs and have every desire to do well in the post season.
THE CHOICES. Bertotto has to give up the suspended Yabre and replaces him with Oyewale who positions himself on the left wing while on the right Valdesi gives Menna a rest; Berardocco returns to midfield to replace Maselli while the attacking trident of Ciuferri, Salvemini and De Sena is confirmed; forwards Diop and Balde on the bench. Cangelosi confirms the formation of two midfielders and the trident in support of the sole striker who, however, is not Montalto who had a muscle problem in the warm-up, but Rovaglia; Proietti returns to the bench and with him also Fabbri, practically never on the pitch except in three games at the start of the championship; finally a slightly longer bench for Zeman’s historic deputy, who can count on important recoveries in view of the play offs.
FIRST HALF. The home team immediately took the initiative and tried to press Casertana in their own half. The falchetti quickly adapted to the fast pace of the yellow-blues, but they did not disdain lunges forward which still kept their opponents apprehensive. And at the first opportunity they take the lead: the 13th minute runs when Calapai makes his usual sortie on the wing and delivers a cross to the center where Curcio’s head gives Danilo Russo no chance. Giugliano’s response arrives a few minutes later with a conclusion from Cargnelutti that ends up high. The De Cristofaro turns into a chessboard where Cangelosi and Bertotto extensively study the moves to put the opposite players in difficulty and the goal-scoring actions begin to disappear even though the pace remains high. Opportunities abounded at the end, first in the Caserta area with Celiento who managed to clear on Salvemini who had rushed into the area and then the rossoblù defender himself was the protagonist this time as an attacker with a header that missed the target.
SECOND HALF. Bertotto, who had already resorted to Menna in the first half due to Valdesi’s injury, makes another substitution with Maselli taking Berardocco’s place. The locals’ action becomes more incisive and in the 8th minute Salvemini, well primed by Ciuferri, shoots high. In the 16th minute Casertana’s midfield loses a poisonous ball in the three-quarters and Ciuferri flies to the left and launches a precise diagonal that goes behind Venturi. A minute passes and Tavernelli responds with a shot high over the crossbar. Tavernelli himself tries shortly afterwards with a shot from the edge, but the spin given to the ball is not suitable to give the desired effect. At half an hour Celiento’s powerful advance on Salvemini launched into the net. Cangelosi concedes 10′ to Proietti and the former Ternana player, who has just entered, unleashes a shot that grazes the post to Russo’s left. The teams stretch at the end but that doesn’t mean they give up trying to bring home the three points. A wonderful opportunity that Ciuferri offers to Baldi in the 41st minute but the winger’s left-footed shot is slipped and does not create any problems for Venturi and in full recovery Carretta on a corner kick finds the head of Anastasio who sends the ball over the crossbar. The derby therefore ends on a draw, a result which allows Casertana – joined in the standings by Taranto – to maintain fourth place in the standings and entrust Saturday’s derby with Sorrento with the possibility of closing the regular season in this position.
GIUGLIANO – CASERTANA 1-1
GIUGLIANO (4-3-3): Russian; Waldesi (37′ Menna), Cargnelutti, Caldore, Oyevale; Romano, Berardocco (46′ Maselli), Giorgione; Ciuferri (89′ De Rosa), Salvemini (89′ Diop), De Sena (66′ Balde). Available Scognamiglio A., Coprean, Scognamiglio G., Perdonò, Grasso, Boccia, Barba, Esposito, Oviszach. Coach Valerio Bertotto
CASERTANA (4-3-3): Venturi; Calapai, Celiento, Bacchetti, Anastasio; Damian (58′ Casoli), Toscano; Carretta, Curcio, Tavernelli, Rovaglia (79′ Proietti). Available Marfella, Fabbri, Soprano, Matese, Galletta, Deli, Paglino, Taurino, Turchetta. Coach Vincenzo Cangelosi
REFEREE: Andrea Calzavara from Varese (Francesco Collu from Oristano and Michele Colavito from Bari; IV Official Davide Gandino from Alessandria)
GOALS: 13′ Curcio; 61′ Ciuferri
NOTES: mild evening, temperature around 17°; land in perfect condition; approximately 2000 spectators of which over 450 came from Caserta; observed a minute of silence at the start of the race in memory of Mattia Giani; corners 5-5; ammonites Toscano, Oyewale; rec. 2′ and 4′
Tags: equal Cristofaro Casertana retains fourth place
