Another draw, but this time a comeback and practically at the end. Catanzaro draws 1-1 at Juve Stabia and secures fifth place: they gain ground on Modena, keep the Campania team at a distance and demonstrate that they have resources even when big players like Iemmello, Favasuli, Pontisso and Petriccione are missing. In the 88th minute Di Francesco scored the goal that erased Mosti’s lead in the first half and gave Aquilani a deserved result.
Juve Stabia 1 Catanzaro 1
Juve Stabia (3-5-1-1): Confente 6; Diakité 6.5 (27′ st Varnier 6), Giorgini 6.5, Dalle Mura 6; Carissoni 6.5, Mosti 6.5, Torrasi 6 (18′ st Leone 6), Pierobon 6 (40′ st Maistro sv), Cacciamani 6 (40′ st Ricciardi sv); Correia 6.5; Gabrielloni 6.5 (18′ st Okoro 5.5). Annex Abbot 6
Catanzaro (3-4-2-1): Pigliacelli 6.5; Cassandro 6, Antonini 6 (46′ st Bashi sv), Brighenti 6; Frosinini 6 (34′ st Oudin sv), Pompetti 6 (39′ st Koffi sv), Rispoli 6, Di Francesco 7; Liberali 6 (34′ st Nuamah sv), Alesi 6 (39′ st Buglio sv); Pittarello 6. All. Aquilani 6.5
Referee: Turrini from Florence 5.5
Scorers: 18′ pt Mosti; 43′ st Di Francesco
Notes: 6,118 spectators of which 234 guests, takings of 61,530 euros. Torrasi and Cassandro booked. Corners 3-4. Rec. 1′; 6′
Abate padded Juve Stabia with midfielders and placed two of them (Correia and Torrasi) man-to-man on Rispoli and Pompetti: thus the high pressure from the Campania players embarrassed the approach of Catanzaro, who struggled and suffered the disadvantage when Giorgini anticipated Pittarello in midfield and Gabrielloni, the lone striker, finished for Mosti who was centralized in the area on the left and beat Pigliacelli (18′). On this occasion, the Giallorossi were distracted, but then they reorganized themselves and began to build, taking advantage of the change in attitude of Juve Stabia, who dropped too low: Alesi tested Confente on a serve from Pittarello (33′), then fired high Cassandro’s low cross launched to the right on the Antonini-Frosinini axis (36′). The home team rarely restarts (half an hour into the second half Okoro looks for a penalty thrown into the net), while Catanzaro keeps the ball a lot even in the second half except that the openings are limited, especially in the centre. The absences also stand out among the alternatives on the bench, so much so that Aquilani changes only 11′ from the end (Nuamah and the revived Oudin, then Koffi and Buglio), but the commitment is there and by pressing consistently Di Francesco equalizes into an empty net after Pittarello’s shot deflected by Antonini (43′). In injury time the Campania team are dangerous with Maistro triggered by an error from Cassandro: Pigliacelli gets his hand in the game. This wasn’t really a case of another prank.