Augusta – Messina 0-1
Scorers: 3′ pt Varela
Augusta (4-3-3): Lumia 6, Ferrini 5.5, Puzzo 6, Musso 6, Petrella 5.5 (17′ st Amara 5.5), Anastasio, Lanza 6 (40′ st Paterniti), La Mesa 6 (44′ st Lopez), Mannino 5.5 (19′ st Migneco), Esposito 5.5 (19′ st Fiorentino), Ferla 5.5. On the bench: Caserta, Cester, Pitruzzello, Pieters. All.: Carved 5.5
Messina (4-2-3-1): Coco 6.5, Doni 6.5, Sbuttoni 6.5, Blondett 6.5, Pellegrino 6, Tanasa 6, Zampa 6, Palumbo 6 (1′ st Sartore 5.5 – 33′ st Guerriero sv), Burzio 6.5 (14′ st Bollino 5.5), Kragl 6.5 (14′ st Bonanno 6), Varela 7 (27′ st La Spada 6.5). On the bench: Calabrese, Bontà, Guerriero, La Spada, Langone, Passiatore. All.: Torrisi 6.5
Referee: Dolenti di Caltanissetta 6
Notes: Booked: Palumbo (M), Musso (A), Burzio (M) Corners: 2-2 Recovery: 2′ pt and 5′ st
A goal from Varela after just three minutes allows Messina to beat the freshman Augusta away and win the first three points of the Eccellenza championship. The Giallorossi started off strong straight away and struck at the first opportunity: a free kick from Kragl, a header from Blondett and a winning deflection from Varela, who beat Lumina. The advantage allows Messina to calmly manage the match: the technical and possession predominance of Mr. Torrisi’s team is clear, but up front there are few real scoring opportunities and the local goalkeeper is not surprised by the attempts of Burzio and Pellegrino. Augusta relies on long balls and some guest inaccuracies and it only shows in the 22nd minute with a shot from Ferla, who hits badly, and in the 44th minute with Mannino, blocked in a corner.
In the second half, Messina continued to lead the match and, in the 22nd minute, they came close to doubling their lead with Sbuttoni’s header from a corner. The substitutions lower the pace: there is also room for the latest arrival La Spada, who also scores but the goal is disallowed for offside, while Sartore, who came on at the beginning of the second half, plays for just over half an hour before leaving the field due to injury. In the 41st minute Bonanno, launched into the net, hits the top of the crossbar, Messina controls the sterile local forcing and takes home the first three points, but they should have ended the match earlier.