It is amazing to think that even after 42 arduous matches a season can be defined on one tiny discernible moment.
Carlo Pinsoglio last night probably didn’t expect to get any game time at all, and who could blame him it is not very often that your sub keeper is called from the bench. Faith however had decided differently, it had called forth the 26-year-old Pinsoglio only to turn and play the cruellest of jokes.
His Livorno side looked to be on course for the most unlikely of relegation escapes in many a year, until disaster struck with 84 minutes on the clock. A free kick from the left was floated into the area, harmless it was one that Pinsoglio would catch with ease 9.99 times out of ten, this time however at the most crucial stage of all the ball would slip from the grasp of the keeper and fall to the feet of Manuel Turchi. It was all that Turchi needed to score and make it 2-2, more importantly it was the goal that kept his side Virtus Lanciano in the division whilst in the process relegating Livorno.
As Pinsoglio berated himself for the mistake, surely he must have known the vitriol he was about to face from the terraces behind him. Yet he could never have expected it to escalate to the point that it did. At 1:30 this morning Pinsoglio was getting into his car alongside his parents when he was approached by an irate fan who proceeded to thump the keeper in the face, forcing the keeper to seek treatment at a local hospital.
Yet for every villain there is always a hero and it is very fitting that in this instance the hero turned out to be Manuel Turchi. Last night was only the 35-year-old veterans 11th appearance of the campaign but his 203rd in total during an eight-year spell with the Frentani. What perhaps makes Turchi’s goal that every the more poetic is not the fact that he is a Lanciano stalwart but more the fact that he is married to club president Valentina Maio and has been for seven years now.
Truth has proved once again so much stranger than fiction. As for poor old Pinsoglio all the blame cannot rest at his doorstep, the Amaranto were 2-0 when he took the field, yes they had just been reduced to ten men, but their nerve left them once the slightest thing went wrong. That loss of nerve now means that Livorno will be playing Lega Pro football next season (Baring reprieve due to Lanciano’s pending court case). Lanciano meanwhile have the small matter of a relegation play-out against Salernitana.
As for the other club to be confirmed in joining Como and Livorno in Lega Pro, that is no surprise to many Modena who went down with a whimper away to Novara. The odds were against the Gialloblu of surviving but the manner of their last day capitulation will have the hardcore fan base baying for blood.
Things literally could not have started any worse for Modena as with only a minute on the clock Simone Gozzi gave away a penalty and was also sent off for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity. Felipe Evacuo subsequently slotted home the spot kick to put Novara in front.
Some credit to the beleaguered Modena players they did maintain some hope of a miraculous escape, that is until the 64th minute when Andrej Galabinov drove home the final nail in the coffin, latching onto a deflected effort to steer home. Galabinov then made it three on 87 minutes from close range before Paolo Gonzalez rounded off the win for Novara in the 89th minute.
Modena are down into Lega Pro as a result while Novara courtesy of this win steal eighth place and the final play-off position.
Despite a fifth minute header from Alfredo Donnarumma that gave Salernitana a 1-0 win at home to Como, the Granata will have to face Lanciano in the relegation play-out. Although they will have the all-important home advantage for the second leg. The reason they must face this daunting tie is because Latina just about the job done at the Adriatico against Pescara.
The man of the hour Gianluca Lapadula would give the Delfini the lead just before the break, his 27th of the season proving one of his easiest as he tapped home from only a couple of yards out. At this stage Pescara were sitting pretty in third in the table while their opponents Latina had dropped into the relegation play-out.
That would change on 54 minutes when Nicolao Dumitru coolly stuck the ball past Vincenzo Fiorillo from just inside the box. That was how it would stay till the end, the Leonialti are now completely safe for another year, while Pescara finish fourth and await the play-offs.
As for the little matter of the Serie B title, that would in the end go to the side most people expected it to go to at the beginning of the season, Cagliari. Things looked to be going differently however for most of the night as the Rossoblu despite taking an early lead against Pro Vercelli had been quickly pegged back. The Bianche Cassche of course also playing for their own safety.
That 1-1 scoreline coupled with the fact that Crotone were leading 1-0 at the Scida against Virtus Entella meant that the title was heading in the Squali’s direction. But then with only six minutes Marco Sau pounced to score an absolutely wondrous bicycle kick after a long throw from the left. A goal worthy of winning any title. 1-2 it would finish at the Stadio Piola, Cagliari are champions, while Pro Vercelli survive another year.
Back at the Scida Crotone would hold on to win by that 1-0 scoreline thus capping off an amazing year for them, whilst also denying Entella a position in the play-offs in the process.
As for the other matches on the final day of the season. Spezia and Ascoli played out a 0-0, a huge shocker considering amazingly that a point was all either side needed to achieve their seasons objectives. Elsewhere Trapani finished third after two Bruno Petkovic goals saw them beat Bari at the once again rocking San Nicola.
In the remaining matches that had basically nothing at stake, Vicenza and Perugia finished 0-0 at the Romeo Menti, Ternana had a nice 3-2 home win over Brescia and finally Cesena won 1-2 away against Avellino.
Another regular season of Serie B mayhem has come to a conclusion all that remains now is the carnage of the play-offs. Forget the Euro’s this is where the real action is at.
View Final League Table HERE.
Week 42 Results:
Avellino 1-2 Cesena, Bari 1-2 Trapani, Crotone 1-0 Virtus Entella, Livorno 2-2 Virtus Lanciano, Novara 4-0 Modena, Pescara 1-1 Latina, Pro Vercelli 1-2 Cagliari, Salernitana 1-0 Como, Spezia 0-0 Ascoli, Ternana 3-2 Brescia, Vicenza 0-0 Perugia
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