Carpi earned a historic promotion to Serie A before a jubilant Stadio Sandro Cabassi crowd on Tuesday night after the Biancorossi drew 0-0 with Bari punching a ticket to the top flight for the first time in the Emilia-Romagna club history.
Coach Fabrizio Castori’s side knew a point or a Vicenza or Brescia loss was enough to send Carpi to the promised land. Carpi began the match out on the front foot and nearly capitalized on two first half set-piece opportunities when Riccardo Gagliolo and Filippo Porcari almost scored but Bari’s Enrico Guarna kept the Galletti’s slim playoff hopes alive by batting away both chances.
Bari fought back valiantly in the second half pouring pressure on Gabriel’s net trying to find the breakthrough but the on-loan AC Milan keeper thwarted efforts from Stefano Sabelli and Massimo Donati and fortune smiled on Carpi when a penalty shout for a a foul on Bari’s Osarimen Ebagua was waived off.
Carpi’s league dominance began in mid-October when they smashed Pescara 5-0 and rattled off 12 straight matches without a loss creating a distance of nine points from the rest of the pack when the clubs returned to action after the winter break.
The Biancorossi’s only dip in form was when the club suffered four straight scoreless draws but were unpunished as other clubs were unable to take advantage. Castori’s men smelled blood coming down the home stretch in April winning seven of their last eight matches.
Bologna recaptured third place by downing Catania 2-0 at a rain-soaked Stadio Dall’Aria ending the Etnei’s five match winning streak. Catania came into the match riding high under new coach Diego Marcolin but were unable to capitalize on their dominance in possession and went into the locker room down a goal when Daniele Cacia scored moments before halftime.
Things turned worse for Catania when Emanuele Calaio was sent to the showers drawing a yellow for a bad tackle and immediately earned a second for his protests. Moments later a long ball played Gianluca Sansone into the area and a delicately placed a left-footed finish past Jean Gillet finished off the match for the Rossoblu.
Frosinone secured second place when they followed up Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Carpi by riding an early Alessandro Frara goal and seeing off Ternana by an identical scoreline.
Vicenza squandered an opportunity to climb up the table as they traveled to the Stadio Mario Rigamonti to take on second-from-bottom Brescia but were humiliated 3-0 by the Rondinelle who were powered courtesy of an Andrea Caracciolo brace and Ahmed Benali’s seventh tally of the season.
