LATINA-MESSINA 1-1
LATIN (4-3-1-2) Zacchi 6; Ercolano 6 (29′ st Di Renzo), Berman 6, E. Vona 6.5, Crecco 6; Riccardi 5.5, Petermann 6 (38′ st Improta sv), Ndoj 5.5 (17′ st Ciko 5.5); Di Livio 6 (17′ st Bocic 6.5); Capanni 7, Mastroianni 6 (29′ st Martignago sv). Subs: Cardinali, Basti, Marenco, Addessi, A. Vona, Saccani, Di Giovannantonio, Cortinovis, Scravaglieri. Coach Padalino 6.
MESSINA (5-3-2): Kurtosis 5.5; Salvo 6 (21′ st Lia 6), Manetta 6, Marino 6, Rizzo 6, Ortisi 6; Pedicillo 7 (38′ st Garofalo sv), Petrucci 6 (38′ st Anselmo sv), Frisenna 6; Cominetti 5.5 (13′ pt Anatriello 5.5), Petrungaro 6 (38′ st Mamona sv). Available: Krapikas, Di Bella, Marino, Lia, Morleo, Re, Anzelmo, Ndir, Adragna. Annex Modica 6
REFEREE: Zago from Conegliano
Linesmen: Alessandrino-Gigliotti.
Fourth official: Angelillo.
MARKERS: 28′ pt Pedicillo (M), 35′ pt Capanni (L).
NOTE: spectators approximately 2,500. Yellow cards: Ercolano, E. Vona, Manetta, Berman, Pedicillo, Crecco, Petrucci. Corners: 3-2 for Messina. Recovery time: 2′ pt; 6′ st.
Messina takes a more than deserved point on the field of Latina after having also come close to full success. A nice injection of confidence for the Sicilians who thus conquer the first point away from home forcing the home team to the third consecutive home draw. The Modica bench is protected, after the post-Casertana chaos.
At the “Francioni” the hosts arrive strong with 6 points earned in the first 5 days of the championship and above all full of energy after the away victory at Avellino. Messina is looking for points, having just come out of a real storm. The “irrevocable” resignation of coach Giacomo Modica rejected by president Pietro Sciotto and the support for the coach declared by the team to the coach, who remained on the bench. Modica, strong with his renewed confidence, has retraced his steps and revolutionized Messina. The game plan is new (5-3-2) and four new faces compared to the drawn match with Casertana.
Messina starts the match well but in the 12th minute they concede Latina’s advantage, cancelled out by the referee’s intervention for Capanni’s offside position. Messina controls the match well and takes the lead in the 28th minute after a couple of unsuccessful attempts. The one who breaks the deadlock is Pedicillo, born in 2003, who scores his first professional goal. The Catanzaro striker does a great job in tapping Petrungaro’s shot into the net, parried by the goalkeeper. For Messina, it’s the first away goal of the season, which interrupts Latina’s unbeaten run after 277 minutes. The match seems to be an easy one for the Sicilians. But the goal conceded generates Latina’s reaction, who equalises after seven minutes.
Curtosi fails to hold a long-range shot from Riccardi. Capanni is good at pounced on the goalkeeper’s rebound and scores the 1-1 goal, his second goal of the season. Before half-time, another important chance for Capanni. Di Livio’s pass is perfect, the striker’s shot is powerful but this time Curtosi is there and denies him the goal with his foot.
In the second half, Messina is still the favorite and with Salvo they come very close to taking the lead, the defender’s header hits the crossbar. A dramatic ending for him. In the 28th minute a clash with Crecco, deserving of a red card, causes him a probable broken nose and forces him to leave the field. For the referee, however, the foul is only a yellow card and the decision will affect the match that begins to become rougher, more nervous. The substitutions give energy back to Latina who in the final with Bocic equalizes the number of posts while Messina seems to begin to feel a bit tired. Modica’s team, however, continues to hold the field well until the end for a more than deserved draw.