Syracuse-Reggina 2-1
Markers: 23' pt Mungo, 41' pt Maggio, 44' st Sarao.
Syracuse: Lumia 6, Di Paola 6, Benassi 6, Suhs 6, Sena 6.5, Esposito 5, Aliperta 6 (32' st Teijo 6.5), Zampa 6.5, Alma 6.5 (47' st Vacca sv), May 7 (32' pt Sarao 7), Russotto 6 (43' pt Forchignone 6.5). All. Spinelli 6.5.
Reggina: Martinez 7, Martiner 6, Girasole 5.5, Adejo 5.5, Cham 5.5. Mungo 6, Barillà 6, Porcino 6 (46' st Zanchi sv), Provazza 6 (44' st Rana sv) Rosseti 5.5 (9' st Bolzicco 6), Perri 6 (38' st Zucco 6). Annex Trocini 6.
Referee: Caruso of Viterbo 6.
Note: ammonites Zampa, Porcino, Barillà, Russotto, Benassi, Girasole, Forchignone; Esposito and Mungo expelled; corners 5-5. A minute of contemplation was observed in memory of Antonello Liuzzo, former councilor of the Municipality of Syracuse.
SYRACUSE. Mungo's illusory advantage had made the amaranth banners wave in the visitors' corner with amazed fibrillation. But a sly and wait-and-see Syracuse instead draws another story. Ultimately, Reggina has nevertheless typewritten a season worthy of the identified denomination. The two trainers do not reserve last-minute surprises for each other, opting for a mirror 4-3-3. Girasole's goal was useless in the 5th minute: the assistant was already waving the ball off the side. The amaranth goalkeeper Martinez was plastic in the 18th minute when, with his glove open, he deflected Russotto's central and powerful free kick for a corner over the crossbar. In the 23rd minute, Mungo, centralized and equidistant between the edge of the area and the spot, brings the Strait's eleven to 0-1 with a surgical angled shot that makes Lumia's dive to his right in vain. The action originates from the ball lost daringly by Russotto in the offensive phase, with Martiner taking possession of it and starting the run, until serving, at the height of the counterattack and with a low shot, his fellow scorer from the right top of the area. A deserved advantage, considering the anomalous disorientation of the premises. Disorientation which Sena tries to remedy in the 31st minute, with a powerful ground-to-air diagonal on which Martinez surpasses himself in the corner for the second time. On the first occasion in which Alma manages to free himself from the amaranth coils, Syracuse equalises. Alma himself crosses remotely for Russotto's head, which Martinez opposes twice, before capitulating in the face of yet another “cabeza” from Maggio. In full injury time, Rosseti's goal is initially void, on which the referee sees a “hands” to fix the ball, and, immediately afterwards, the fight in midfield between Esposito and Mungo causes both of them to get a direct red card.
The second half was “christened” by Porcino's attempted hunchback shot: in the 2nd minute, he took advantage of a short local clearance and fired a volley from the edge: Lumia blocked, curling up on the line. The Azzurri goalkeeper conceded an encore in the 21st minute, blocking Girasole's imperious header for a corner. In the 29th minute, Perri could take advantage of a macroscopic hole left by the Syracuse rearguard, but he badly wastes a penalty on the move by slipping into the comfortable arms of Lumia. In the 37th minute, the Italian bench claimed the penalty when Forchignone fell to the ground, tackled by Martinez as he came out. The referee has a different opinion. In any case, Siracusa still makes the match their own: in the 44th minute, Sarao darts and doubles the lead with a low diagonal shot, the guest defense forgotten.
