Virtus Lanciano held serve at home holding league leading Carpi to a 1-1 draw while Avellino downed Bologna 1-0 to join a throng of contenders in third place in Serie B action on Friday. 
The Frentani deserved their draw against high-flying Carpi at the Stadio Guido Biondi in a match equally balanced between the two sides. The result saw the Biancorossi stretch their unbeaten streak to 11 matches.
Lanciano nearly grabbed the lead in the first 10 minutes from a corner kick but Stefano Ferrario and Magnus Troest managed to get in each other’s way and Troest’s header was mishit rolling safely away from goal.
The home side made the most of their next corner moments later when a short ball was played to Armin Bacinovic while a sleepy Carpi defense did not challenge the Slovenian whose shot took a deflection which wrong-footed Gabriel giving Bacinovic his first goal and putting Lanciano on top.
Within minutes of taking the lead Lanciano nearly found the net again as Antonio Piccolo and Leonardo Gatto linked up in the area but Gabriel was up to the task making a diving save to protect his near post.
Against the run of play, just past the half hour mark, the Lanciano defense was caught napping on a corner kick as two Carpi attackers were left alone at the back post and Riccardo Gagliolo tapped in the equalizer.
The match slowed down considerably after the Carpi goal and never seemed to kick on with the intensity of the first 30 minutes for the duration. The sides exchanged some half chances throughout the last hour but both sides seemed content with the single point as the Biancorossi extended their lead to seven points above a mob of competitors aiming for Serie A glory.
Avellino snatched their first victory in six matches which saw the Lupi leapfrog Bologna in the standings at the Stadio Partenio under the watchful eye of vice-president Marco Di Vaio.
The former Rossoblu captain could not have been pleased as an undisciplined Bologna side finished the match with nine men and missed some glorious chances from close range throughout the contest.
The breakthrough came immediately after Matuzalem’s second yellow when the Bologna defense failed to clear a floated cross which bounced around until Demiro Pozzebon slid his shot under Ferdinando Coppola’s legs.
Frustration boiled over minutes later when Luca Ceccarelli karate kicked Biancoverdi striker Mohamed Soumare and was shown an immediate red card.
