Ugento wrote history by arriving in Serie D for the first time at the end of a playoff final dominated, especially in the second half, and which ended 4-0 in the presence of a Bisceglie who paid a high price for their absences and a matchday really subdued by its most representative players. However, the race to the fourth series is not over for president Racanati’s boys who will try to make the jump to the category in the national playoffs.
Splendid audience setting in the stands of the Nuovarredo Arena in Francavilla Fontana. Orphans of Pignataro, Kouame and Avvantaggio, disqualified after the match against Molfetta, coach Di Meo’s Nerazzurri present themselves with the usual 4-3-1-2 with Suma between the posts, Farucci, Sanchez, Lucero and Morisco in the back pack, Kone, Monk And Eat lards in the midfield while the Argentine tandem acts forward Di Rito – Bonicelli Supported by Stefanini. The Lecce team also opted for the typical formation with the best scorer Bernaola regularly on the pitch.
The match ends after about ten minutes with two very good chances, one on each side. The first opportunity is for Ugento with Ruiz whose shot from a very good position is imprecise and goes high; on the turnaround in front it is Bisceglie who have the sensational chance to take the lead but Maggi responds to Mangialardi’s conclusion. The two episodes unlock the dispute which suddenly becomes enjoyable. In the 16th minute Ruiz tries again for the Salento team but his long-range shot ends up wide. Four turns of the clock pass and Ugento finds the episode useful to take the lead at the end of a nice maneuvered action that frees Romano to shoot, very good with a surgical left to pierce the innocent Suma. Bisceglie responded immediately and in the 23rd minute Bonicelli was the protagonist of an excellent initiative on the left but found no teammate ready in the center to collect the cross. At the end of the half, the Lecce team tried to manage their precious advantage and, therefore, it was the stars who showed themselves with more conviction going forward. At the half hour mark, Lucero hits on the development of a corner, sending it high while four minutes later Kone severely challenges Maggi who is attentive and blocks. Just before the break, the Ivorian midfielder from Bisceglie is once again the protagonist but his shot is blocked by the Salento defence.
The cold shower for the Biscegliesi arrives at the start of the second half, in fact, Sanchez and his teammates approach poorly upon returning from the changing rooms and in the 47th minute Ugento doubles the lead with Lezzi who receives an assist from Ruiz’s kiss and surpasses Suma with a precise diagonal. The double disadvantage has repercussions on the morale of the Bisceglie players who gradually exit the match. In the 55th minute, in fact, only a double intervention by Suma, first on Ruiz and on the subsequent corner on Ancora, avoided Salento’s trio. Di Meo tries to come from the bench to change the momentum of the match but with the exception of an unrealistic shot by Bonicelli in the 66th minute and an attempt by Di Rito seven minutes into the ninetieth minute, Bisceglie does not create any problems for Maggi, who is essentially inactive in the recovery. On the contrary, the Lecce players proved to be extremely cynical and good at exploiting the enormous defensive lightness of the Nerazzurri. Emblematic in this sense is the 3-0 goal scored by Ancora who in the 75th minute took advantage of a colossal sleep by the Bisceglie defense on the development of a free kick from the outside left. The Salento attacker, in fact, scored the simplest of goals as he was not followed or hindered by any defender. The Ugento celebration takes on even larger dimensions in the last segment of the match when Jimenez first makes poker in the 86th minute at the end of a collective action that frees him to shoot from the height of the penalty spot and, a few moments before the final whistle, he comes close to making it 5-0, finding the rebound from the Bisceglie rearguard.
This promotion play-off therefore takes Salento’s path, deservedly rewarding Ugento and forcing Bisceglie to try to move up in category in the difficult path of the national playoffs which should start on May 26th. In light of the draws carried out in recent months in the first round the Nerazzurri will face the team that emerges victorious from the playoffs in the Calabria region. (PHOTO: EMMANUELE MASTRODONATO)
