116 days, that is what’s left in the 2015/2016 Serie B season, 116 days for the men from Crotone to hold out and complete a miracle. It will be a long time filled with agony and ecstasy, ups and downs but by the end of those almost four months’ history could be made.
Will the weight of what that are on the verge of achieving get them down, who knows but for now the men from Calabria continue to play with the carefree attitude that has stood so well in the campaign so far.
In fact, far from the pressure proving to much they actually seem to be revelling in it. That is seen in the fact that they have now dispatched two of their closest promotion rivals within the last seven days. The latest of whom to fall were Novara.
It was to there that the Rossoblu travelled last Saturday afternoon looking to continue the momentum of their win over Cagliari the Monday night before. Novara themselves were looking to bounce back from a defeat in their first match back after the winter break and a tight contest was expected.
And that is exactly what was got as both teams struggled to breakdown the others rear guard. In the end it would only take one breach of the others shield wall to see a winner declared. That wall to be breached belonged to the Biancoazzurri with the blow coming in the 33rd minute through Federico Ricci.
It was a sweet strike from the talented youngster as he took the ball down on his chest at the edge of the box then hitting it as clipped off the turf on the half volley into the bottom corner. A goal worthy of winning most matches and so it would prove to be with this one.
Novara have now lost two in two since the restart, the opposite is true of Crotone. Serie A looms larger than ever on the horizon, Avanti Crotone.
In second place remain Cagliari as they recovered, just about, from the stinging defeat to the Squali by beating Ternana at the Sant’Elia. This one also only finishing 1-0 with the only goal coming bang on the hour mark. Davide Di Gennaro drilling into the bottom left hand corner from outside the box after some good hold up play by Joao Pedro.
Pescara are now four points clear in third spot after they confidently dispatched Perugia at the Renato Curi 4-0 on Sunday evening. Things started bad for the Grifone and continued on from there when Marco Rossi put through his own net on 26 minutes. The former Bari man getting his feet all in a muddle and then compounding his ineptitude by kicking the ball in off the post.
It wasn’t until the 66th minute that the Delfini doubled the lead, Gianluca Lapdula adding to his ever growing collection by slipping in behind the Perugia defence to get on the end a cross before then rounding Antonio Rosati and slotting home.
It was 3-0 four minutes later, Ahmad Benali easily putting home from about three yards out after some excellent work by his teammates on the edge of the box. Only three minutes after that Gianluca Caprari finished off the rout with a neat side footed finish into the bottom right corner.
A fine win for the Delfini, while Perugia find themselves down in the dumps.
Bari got there first win under coach Andrea Camplone after they dispatched Vicenza at the San Nicola. Valerio De Cesare opening the scoring bang on half time benefitting from a howler by Mauro Vigorito. The Biancorossi keeper coming for a corner from the right contrived to somehow miss the ball despite being on his own it then fell kindly to De Cesare who made no mistake.
Riccardo Maniero would make it 2-0 just before the hour mark, just getting in front of Vigorito at the near post to head home a Giuseppe De Luca cross from the right. Filip Raicevic would pull one back for the away side on 68 minutes but it would prove not enough. Vicenza would also be reduced to ten men late on as the Galetti held on to pick up a valuable three points.
Down at the bottom of the table there was some big wins and big defeats for struggling sides. On Monday night in Perhaps the biggest one of the lot Como made the visit to Livorno with a win for either side having massive repercussions on the other.
It proved to be a tense affair but certainly not one lacking for chances as both sides would hit the woodwork in the first half. The Amaranto would also have an effort from Gianluca Comi ruled out for offside.
Just past the hour mark Como would take the lead when Stefano Pettinari would poke home, although there was a big suspicion of offside about the goal. Not long after however Livorno would hit back through Martino Borghese. Things would then get worse for Como when Antonio Giosa received his second yellow with 14 minutes left.
They would however hang on to claim what may prove a vital point, as for Livorno the locals remain on the warpath.
On Friday night Salernitana crushed a high flying Brescia 3-0. Racine Coly put the Granata in front on 23 minutes the Brescia defender running Marco Rossi close for the most comical own goal of the weekend award. Massimo Coda made it two on 55 minutes racing onto a ball over the top before then shooting low and hard past Stefano Minelli into the bottom right corner.
Michele Franco rounded off what is perhaps the Granata’s most important win of the season so far on 63 minutes tipping home after an original effort had come back off the post.
Ascoli were another side who won a crucial three points this weekend as they beat Virtus Lanciano in what can be deemed as the proverbial six pointer. Jakub Jankto was the man to score the only goal of the match just past the hour mark. Picking up the ball from deep he just ran at the heart of the Frentani defence, who had just no answer to the Czech youngster, he then showed plenty of composure to finish off his splendid run with an even better finish into the top left corner.
It wasn’t all good news for teams at the bottom though as Pro Vercelli lost again, this time at home to Spezia, Nico Pulzetti with the goal 19 minutes from time. Modena threw away three points at home to Avellino. Luca Belingheri giving the Gialloblu the lead on 64 minutes only for Benjamin Mokulu to score in stoppage time for the Lupi.
It was a better weekend for Latina as they came from behind in Sicily to beat Trapani, Luigi Scaglia and Daniele Corvia with the goals for the Leonialti. Finally, Cesena had a 2-0 win at the Manuzzi against Virtus Entella.
Watch Week 23 Highlights HERE.
View Table HERE.
Week 23 Results:
Salernitana 3-0 Brescia, Ascoli 1-0 Virtus Lanciano, Bari 2-1 Vicenza, Cagliari 1-0 Ternana, Cesena 2-0 Virtus Entella, Modena 1-1 Avellino, Novara 0-1 Crotone, Pro Vercelli 0-1 Spezia, Trapani 1-2 Latina, Perugia 0-4 Pescara, Livorno 1-1 Como.
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