Serie B 2014/15 – Week 39: Avellino crawl into playoff picture and Carpi keeps the party going

Date: 4th May 2015 at 6:49am
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Avellino defeated Pescara 3-2 behind a furious second half comeback at the Stadio Partenio and Carpi’s party rolled through the weekend as the promoted side downed Modena 2-1 on Sunday wrapping up Serie B action.

Pescara’s Stefano Pettinari got the visitors on board before Luigi Castaldo, Antonio Zito and Moussa Kone completed the comeback before Pettinari scored another late consolation goal. 

Opportunity was fading away for the Lupi to secure a playoff spot and they made the most of their chance downing a Pescara side who are also in a battle to secure one of six available playoff positions.

The Delfini matched the home side’s intensity and were rewarded with an early goal when inside the quarter-hour mark Pettinari outran the Avellino defense, fought off the challenge of two defenders and slotted his right-footer to Pierluigi Fratalli’s far post.

The goal seemed to deflate the Lupi who were scuffling having only picked up two points in their last four matches and were in danger of seeing what had been a successful season go by the wayside if they didn’t earn a playoff spot and fight for the right to play in Serie A for the first time since 1998.

Frattali’s heroics in the first half kept Avellino in the match as the 29-year old veteran made brilliant stops from a free kick, and stood up to a pair of one-on-one close-range efforts from Federico Melchiorri and Birkir Bjarnason.

Avellino coach Massimo Rastelli roused his troops at half time as the green machine simply drowned the Delfini with waves of pressure forcing mistakes and the home side were rewarded when Bartosz Salamon was whistled for a handball in the area and Castaldo side-footed his spot kick neatly into the far post.

At the half hour mark Avellino took the lead when a cross was played into the area and Zito benefited when Gianmario Comi and Pescara keeper Simone Aresti collided and the Delfini defense hesitated to clear the ball. The striker had only been on the pitch for a few minutes before nodding in the go ahead for his first tally of the season. Kone and Pettinari rounded out the scoring and Avellino finished the day leveled with Pescara for the final playoff position.

Carpi’s celebration from Tuesday’s promotion didn’t stop as the Biancorossi outclassed Modena at the Stadio Alberto Braglia, a stadium where the Emilia-Romagna club may have to play their Serie A home matches next season.

The Canarini couldn’t withstand a second half onslaught that got underway when Lorenzo Lollo floated a ball over the top to Kevin Lasagna who rolled an inviting ball to Jerry Mbakogu who gobbled up the opportunity to score his 14th of the season and celebrate before the 1,600 away supporters.

Simone Romagnoli finished off the little hope Modena had when he bundled in a corner which the Gialloblu defense failed to clear. Modena found a late meaningless goal from Sampdoria loanee Francesco Fedato efore earning a red card and Simone Romagnoli doubled the lead prior to a late meaningless goal from Francesco Fedato.

See the Serie B standings here.

 

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