With heart, pride and determination, the Siponto players believed until the end, supported by the incessant support of their fans, winning a vital victory, although Gjonaj’s late goal wasn’t enough for Casarano. Despite Calemme’s absence, the return of Giacobbe in midfield, supported by Cicerelli and Hernaiz, and the inclusion of Balba up front contributed to the team’s determination. Although Casarano showed quality up front, the Manfredonia players were not intimidated and tried to weave play, creating several scoring opportunities. After a careful first half, in the 17th minute Perez came close to scoring for Casarano, but was stopped by a great save from Paduano. In the second half, Casarano continued to press, but it was Manfredonia’s carelessness that allowed Gjonaj to give the Salento team the lead, the Albanian playmaker finishing on goal after a valuable assist from Gambino. However, Manfredonia did not give up and, supported by the public, first found the equalizer in the 45th minute with Babaj and then the victory in injury time with a surgical right-footed shot from Giacobbe, which sent Miramare into a frenzy. With this epic victory, Manfredonia is getting ever closer to salvation.
