Frosinone beat Hellas Verona 3-2 at the Stadio Matusa in Serie A on Sunday afternoon, lifting themselves out of the drop zone.
Daniel Ciofani bagged the 1-0 from the penalty spot following a moment of madness from Rafael who elbowed Luca Paganini, causing the penalty and being sent off. Ciofani made it 2-0 just before the break, and shortly after Federico Dionisi closed the game. Federico Viviani and Vangelis Moras made the final score less harsh.
Despite the difficult moment, the guests started the better side, psychologically boosted by the return from the start of captain Luca Toni.
Their initial flair did not last long though, as on 19 minutes Rafael hit Paganini in his box and the game restarted after 2 minutes, with Verona having a player less and losing 1-0.
Verona reacted immediately with a Toni special: the 36-year-old went high to head the ball on target, only to be denied the draw by a wonderful save of Nicola Leali.
Leali was the star again minutes later as he flew to his right to save a long range shot by Viviani.
Verona’s reaction ended there, though, as the hosts found the second again with Ciofani, who fired home on 40 minutes, taking his team into the break with all the odds to grasp the three points.
The certainty of the victory for Frosinone came just three minutes into the second half, when Dionisi calmly slotted home the third after a Paolo Sammarco assist.
Andrea Mandorlini had tried to change something in his attack, by taking off Juanito Gomez for Giampaolo Pazzini at half time, but the third goal came too soon to see any reaction by the guests.
Roberto Stellone’s side controlled the ball and went close to scoring the fourth in some occasions.
Verona’s response was a Pazzini shot easily controlled by Leali on 66 minutes, just before Viviani made it 3-1 with a lovely free kick on 69 minutes.
The guests found the mental energy to keep fighting, and Moras bagged the 3-2 on 75 minutes, making the most of Leali’s mistake and spicing up the last 15.
It was too late though and the Ciociari held on to win the game and go to 14 points, leaving Hellas last with just six.
