Alghero wins the first round 2 to 1 against the difficult Usinese. Audience for great occasions at Maria Maria Pia’s Pino Cuccureddu, a choreography to remember for everyone, for a match that will hand over the keys to Excellence to whoever wins the contest in the double clash.
The toned and very motivated Alghero started off well, put together a large amount of work, but were unable to complete the game which at times seemed truly brilliant.
The team, despite the fact that we are in the middle of May, with a season played at a great pace, still manages to give the best of themselves, demonstrating that they are in truly enviable psychophysical form.
We were talking about a truly brilliant first half for Alghero and for Usinese there were also some pains. The first goal was a great play as always by Stefano Mereu, then in the area the ball passed through a wild head, with a probable deflection. And then again Alghero chased the doubling goal which arrived almost fortuitously, but sought after, with the opponents protesting loudly to the referee.
Two-nil match closed? Not even a little, the Usinese team is tough, very organised, finds physical and mental resources in all departments, to find the goal which effectively opens up the hope of overturning the current disadvantage in game two in Usini.
Mister Gandon was satisfied, it couldn’t be otherwise, but for him the blemish of the expulsion, a double yellow card, and as the coach said, it really seemed to us that the bench was too electric at times, all justified by the fact that what was at stake was really high.
First round for Alghero but the game is all open, there are still 90 minutes to play. Alghero respected the prediction, they played within friendly walls, but it is good to know that these matches can be decided with unpredictable individual plays, or with errors which unfortunately can occur.
A beautiful evening of football ends, given to the large crowd in Alghero, with a large presence of Usini fans. To underline the perfect order service of the police forces, who monitored everything with the utmost discretion. Cheering is always beautiful if it doesn’t transcend and in Alghero yesterday there was a beautiful evening of sport and FairPlay.
Scoreboard and news
Alghero wins the first round of the promotion play-off final. 2-1 in a packed and yellow-red “Pino Cuccureddu”.
Giandon’s team tries to play the game right from the start. In the 7th minute the first jolt came with a shot from the edge of the area by Captain Mereu which the visiting goalkeeper deflected into a corner kick. In the 10th minute Usinese also tries with a tricky free kick from Luiu which Piga neutralises. Alghero still close to scoring shortly after the quarter of an hour with Mereu, again from the edge of the area, but Caboni saves in the corner. Then Franchi tries, around the half-hour mark, with a shot that grazes the crossbar. Shortly afterwards, Baraye was dangerous, from a tight angle, with a low shot that crossed the penalty area without finding any teammate ready for the winning deflection. The Giallorossi found the deserved advantage in the second minute of injury time: corner kick from Mereu, the ball was slightly deflected by some player, perhaps even a guest, and ended up in the net.
At the beginning of the second half the second goal also arrived: a good initiative by Marco Carboni, who won a tackle and who almost from the back put a ball on the far post for which Dore was ready. The guests protest because they were demanding a foul but the referee lets it go and validates the goal. In the 18th minute Usinese closes the gap with Spanu: left foot from the edge and the ball first hits the post then ends up in the net. Alghero also complained in the 37th minute for a rather dubious offside whistled on Marco Carboni, with Mister Giandon who was subsequently sent off for protests. In the red final also for Tedde (Usinese).
The victory in the play-offs and relative promotion to Eccellenza now goes to Usini. Another great performance from the Giallorossi will be needed to achieve the great goal of the season.
Courtesy Alghero Press Office
ALGHERO – USINESE 2-1
ALGHERO: Piga, Dore, Masala, Manunta, Mereu, Urgias (35′ st P. Carboni), Ruben Feliz, Mula, Franchi, M. Carboni (41′ st Meloni), Baraye. On the bench: Pittalis, Sini, Giorgi, Spiri, Sasso, Puddu, Pinna. Coach: Gian Marco Giandon
USINESE: Caboni, M. Saba, Spanu, Daga, Luiu (45′ st Porcu), Gutierrez, Ferranda (13′ st Saccu), Tedde, Foddai (17′ st F. Mura), Sanna, D. Saba. On the bench: Zaccheddu, A. Mura, Capra, Nieddu, Saccu, Oggiano, Balzani. Coach: Gianfranco Ravot
REFEREE: Samuele Giudice from Sassari
GOALS: 47′ pt Mereu, 6′ st Dore, 18′ st Spanu
NOTE: Tedde was sent off for Usinese and coach Giandon was sent off for Alghero; Urgias, Masala, Dore and Puddu booked for Alghero, Sanna, Luiu and Saccu for Usinese
