Reggina-Messina 1-1
Scorers: 40′ Tedesco, 43′ st Palumbo.
REGGINA: Lagonigro 6.5; Giuliodori 5, Adejo 5.5, D. Girasole 6, Distratto 6; Macrì 6.5 (45′ st Salandria sv), Fofana 5.5; Ragusa 5.5 (18′ st Guida 5.5), Mungo 5.5 (9′ st Edera 6, 32′ st Palumbo 7), Di Grazia 6 (18′ st Sartore 6.5), Ferraro 5.5. All. Torrisi 5.5.
MESSINA: Garden 7; De Caro 6.5, Trasciani 6.5, Bosia 6.5 (1st st Werner 6); Saverino 5.5, Aprile 6, Garufi 6, Orlando 6.5; Oliviero 6.5 (39 ‘st Zerbo sv), Tedesco 7 (35’ st Roseti sv), Touré 6.5. Annex Feola 7.
Referee: Barbetti from Arezzo 6.
Notes: Corners: 3-3 Corners: 7-4 Spectators: 7,100 of which 199 guests. Booked: Bosia, Tedesco, Trasciani, Orlando, Macrì
Serie D derby, but full of emotions. Messina has long dreamed of the coup against Granillo, seeing the feat vanish a few minutes from the 90th minute with a goal from Palumbo equalizing Tedesco’s lead. A final emotion that saves Reggina’s less-than-exciting performance, which had been put into difficulty for a long time by Feola’s. The coach’s debut on the Peloritana bench was excellent.
The start of the race was totally amaranth. For ten to fifteen minutes the home team’s extremely high pressing took the breath away from the guests’ game, who were lucky and above all good at resisting the onslaught. At least three occasions: Di Grazia’s crossbar from a free kick, almost a moving penalty kicked wide by Mungo and a close-range shot by Giuliodori neutralized by a reactive Giardino. Messina’s growth throughout the match was rewarded by the goal: Oliverio’s corner and Tedesco’s winning touch in the small area. With a quarter of an hour to go the Giallorossi also had another chance to double their lead: good play by Saverino and a great save by Lagonigro to save Reggina. The amaranth goal was almost at the last minute: a cross from the right by Sartore and a winning header by Palumbo (with protests from Messina for a possible push on the marker). In the final Reggina was close to a resounding success, but Giardino took care of blocking a precise and powerful right from Palumbo.