PRE MATCH – The Serie C playoffs begin. Taranto and Latina face each other in the match valid for the first round. Rossoblù on the pitch with the 3-4-3: Vannucchi between the posts, defended by Riggio, Miceli and Enrici. Luciani advances on the right wing, Ferrara is on the left. Calvano returns to the midfield, Zonta next to him. Trident formed by Kanoute, Simeri and Bifulco. Fontana, however, responds with a 3-4-2-1 that sees Marino, Vona and De Santis in front of Guadagno. Ercolano and Crecco on the lanes, Di Livio and Riccardo in the middle of the field. On the attacking midfield, supporting Mastroianni, D’Orazio and Paganini.
FIRST HALF – Latina shows up immediately after two minutes with a wide header from De Santis. In the 9th minute we also see Taranto who, after having complained about a penalty for touching the arm in the area, try with Bifulco, whose shot is deflected by Vona, and then with Calvano who shoots high. The pace is immediately high, Latina tries to attack with Ercolano on the left and in the 13th minute creates a thrill for the Ionian rearguard with a cross from D’Orazio only missed by Mastroianni. In the 18th minute, D’Orazio, following an incorrect clearance from Luciani, shoots from long range: a violent but imprecise shot. Then for a phase the two teams slow down, with Taranto coming back to Guadagno’s area with a cross from Zonta which Luciani just misses and Latina responds with a high shot from the former Crecco. In the 38th minute the guests attacked again with Paganini who delivered a violent ball into the area which D’Orazio, in a split, failed to reach. In the 43rd minute, Latina claimed a penalty for Vannucchi’s outburst on Paganini, which was later judged to be regular by the referee after a VAR check. It was the last episode of the first forty-five minutes which ended with a minute of added time.
SECOND HALF – Capuano returns to the field with Valietti and Ladinetti for Bifulco and Riggio, switching from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2 with the aim of strengthening the midfield. Latina started strong and came close to scoring twice, impacting Vannucchi on both occasions, who was good and reactive in first repelling D’Orazio’s overhead kick, then Ercolano’s close-range shot. The Nerazzurri persisted with a wild D’Orazio who, in the 53rd minute, served Mastroianni with a dangerous cross that was somehow blocked by Enrici. Immediately afterwards there is a flash from Taranto with Valietti who recovers the ball from De Santis and serves Zonta who, all alone, closes at the near post, sending it just wide. In the 57th minute Capuano changes the offensive duo: Kanoute and Simeri out, Orlando and De Marchi in, and it is Orlando himself three minutes later who challenges Guadagno who responds with a complicated intervention. The match is lively and full of opportunities: D’Orazio responds to Orlando’s previous match, then Ferrara, after a central clearance from the opposing goalkeeper, shoots into an empty net with Vona putting his leg in and saving. In the 68th minute the rossoblù were dangerous with a restart that ended with a diagonal shot to the side by De Marchi. Fontana then makes the first substitution, inserting Capanni for Crecco. In the 75th minute, yet another cross from the left for Mastroianni, Ferrara folds, helping Vannucchi to pass a ball that wandered near the goal line. Subsequently, the hosts tried with two long-range shots from De Marchi and Orlando, both saved by Guadagno without difficulty. In the last ten minutes Fabrizi and Del Sole enter for Marino and D’Orazio. In the 84th minute, a big opportunity for Mastroianni who, completely free in the center of the area, smashes and finds the save with Vannucchi’s fists, the tiredness is not felt and on occasion he responds to the opportunity: on the next action, in fact, Orlando tries a lob from outside which ends just outside. In the final, Fella enters for Di Livio in the guests and Mastromonaco for Ferrara in Taranto, the rossoblù are on the ropes but manage to resist even in the four minutes of injury time, gaining access to the second round.
COMMENT – In the first half, Latina made an immediate impact with a header from De Santis, Taranto responded with a double conclusion from Bifulco and Calvano. The Pontini, more loose and attacking, manage to make themselves dangerous with crosses that start from the feet of Ercolano and D’Orazio, while Taranto is more tense and struggles to seriously get to Guadagno’s area, also committing several errors. In the second half Capuano changes and goes to 3-5-2, but it is still Latina who comes close to scoring with D’Orazio and Ercolano who hit the excellent Vannucchi. Then Taranto comes close to taking the lead with Zonta and Orlando, but every time they restart they know how to worry the Ionian rearguard. In the last ten minutes, first Mastroianni devours a great opportunity, then Orlando comes close to scoring with a lob. It was an intense match full of opportunities, with the draw which, by virtue of the better position in the standings, qualified Taranto for the next round.
TARANTO-LATINA 0-0
Serie C Play Offs – First Round | Tue 07 May 2024
TARANTO (3-4-3): 26 Vannucchi; 30 Miceli, 15 Enrici, 6 Riggio (46′ 8 Ladinetti); 16 Luciani, 29 Zonta, 23 Calvano, 3 Ferrara (87′ 72 Mastromonaco); 14 Bifulco (46′ 24 Valietti), 10 Simeri (57′ 90 De Marchi), 77 Kanoute (57′ 96 Orlando). Available: 1 Loliva, 22 Costantino, 21 Matera, 27 Papaserio, 28 Fiorani, 37 Travaglini, 70 Capone, 99 Fabbro. Coach: Capuano
LATINA (3-4-2-1): 99 Gain; 3 Vona, 15 Marino (81′ 29 Fabrizi), 13 De Santis; 2 Ercolano, 10 Riccardi, 7 Di Livio (87′ 11 Fella), 26 Crecco (68′ 80 Capanni Dias); 19 D’Orazio (81′ 27 Del Sole), 77 Paganini; 9 Mastroianni. Available: 1 Cardinals, 71 Fasolino, 4 Perseu, 8 Cittadino, 16 Sorrentino, 72 Polletta, 92 Scravaglieri, 95 Di Renzo. Coach: Fontana
Referee: Mattia Caldera from Como
Assistants: Glauco Zanellati from Seregno and Gilberto Laghezza from Mestre
Fourth Officer: Michele Delrio from Reggio Emilia
Markers: –
Booked: 26′ Marino (L), 62′ Enrici (T)
Expelled: –
Notes: Angles: 4-2. Recovery: 1’pt and 4’st. ”Erasmo Iacovone” Stadium – Taranto. Match started at 8.30pm
