Riccardo Meggiorini has not enjoyed the best of seasons so far with Torino but made up for months of inconsistency with a devastating display against Inter.
He ran the Nerazzurri defence all over the San Siro and was a nuisance throughout, always looking dangerous but most importantly looking very sharp.
It is a cutting edge and determination that has not been witnessed enough from the 27-year-old old who had not scored a Serie A goal since netting for Novara in November 2011.
That goal too, came against Inter and was the only league strike he managed during his time in Piedmont.
However, partnering new boy Paolo Barreto in attack, fans who bemoaned the benching of Rolando Bianchi before the game were quickly silenced upon its getting started.
Not immediately though with Inter having taken the lead through a masterful Christian Chivu free kick although its award was somewhat dubious.
‘Meggio’ then almost single-handedly dragged Toro level when he put Fredy Guarin under pressure inside his own box and won the ball back.
It is an effort that he has been criticised for not always showing but he will be a popular figure among the support if he keeps performing like this.
That determination to win the ball back resulted in it breaking his way from a Barreto pass and he showed ice cool composure, not that which you would expect from a striker on a lengthy goal drought, to drive the ball beyond a helpless Samir Handanovic.
Kamil Glik was given the freedom of Milan to jaunt forward and set up the again hugely influential Alessio Cerci in the second half and he rolled across goal for Meggiorini to sweep home.
If the first goal showed willingness to work hard and class in front of goal, the second showed intelligence to get himself into the right area and on the end of Cerci’s enticing cross.
It would have been no more than the Granata deserved to hold on to that lead and win the game but alas, it was not to be as Esteban Cambiasso’s equaliser put paid to hopes of a first away win over Inter since 1988.
Not that they did not have further chances.
Meggiorini went agonisingly close in the 93rd minute when he across the back of Andrea Ranocchia and only the quick reactions of Handanovic prevented from sealing a glorious hat-trick.
Bianchi went even closer when he came off the bench by having his effort tipped on to the post although after doing wonderfully, and showcasing the high-pressure that Toro wanted to play with, by charging down a poor Inter clearance but decided to drive the ball wide when Meggiorini was waiting across the box in acres of space with the goal gaping.
However, a point would very much have been accepted before hand and even though Giampiero Ventura’s looked likely to score every time they ventured forward, two goals and a draw away from home against a top side will just have to do.
The man on the bench can be rightly proud of all of his players after the display as it was not just Meggiorini, who perhaps gained a small measure of revenge over the club who sold him in 2005 after deciding he was not good enough, who put in 100% effort and quality in helping them to what could be a priceless point.
Although, the ex-Genoa striker tirelessly chasing Juan Jesus into the corner with the scores tied at 2-2 and nicking the ball from home before winning a free kick he had no right to win summed up the spirit and attitude of the side as a whole.
There were instances of this all over the park such as Guillermo Rodriguez blocking a ferocious Javier Zanetti strike with his chest while down on his knees in the penalty area.
Inter’s midfield two of Guarin and Walter Gargano may have cost roughly €18m more than Toro’s duo of Alessandro Gazzi and Matteo Brighi in the middle of the park but you would not have known that was the case if you were an outside observer.
Gazzi and Brighi were immense and shirked no tackle or picking up of their men off the ball and were found kickstarting counter-attacks as frequently as they were helping out the equally dominant duo of Glik and Rodriguez behind them.
Mario Santana did not enjoy his best game wide on the right but Salvatore Masiello behind him made up for that while on the wing, Cerci was again outstanding.
So much so that he had to be replaced near the end as he had given so much for the cause that he literally had run himself into the ground and was exhausted as a result.
If Toro can continue to display this same passion and determination topped off with the classy and efficient way they execute Ventura’s tactics, never mind avoiding relegation.
The top half could well be an achievable goal but for now it is all about saluting a team as well as a man who has silenced many critics: Bravo, Meggiorini!
