Friday 26th April
Modena 2 – 1 Sassuolo
Saturday 27th April
Ascoli 0 – 5 Verona
Bari 2 – 1 Spezia
Juve Stabia 1 – 1 Ternana
Livorno 2 – 0 Vicenza
Padova 3 – 3 Novara
Pro Vercelli 0 – 0 Grosseto
Reggina 0 – 1 Brescia
Varese 2 – 0 Cittadella
Virtus Lanciano 1 – 1 Crotone
Sunday 28th April
Empoli 1 – 0 Cesena
The victory champagne will remain on ice for at least another week after a last gasp derby defeat cast fresh doubt upon Sassuolo’s promotion push.
A win for the Neroverdi over Modena coupled with a draw or defeat for Verona on Saturday would have been enough to send Sassuolo up in to Serie A this weekend, and after Andrea Mazzarani had spurned a gilt-edged chance to fire the hosts into an early lead, Sassuolo grabbed the crucial opener seven minutes before the break, with Richmond Boakye squaring into the path of Andrea Catellani, who kept his nerve and swept the ball home from the edge of the area.
The thought of their upstart near neighbours romping to an historic promotion must be anathema for Modena however, and it showed in a quite scintillating second half performance. A fine individual effort from Matteo Ardemagni had them level with 15 minutes remaining, and after Domenico Berardi and Leonardo Pavoletti had both been left short changed by Modena’s watertight defence, Mazzarani whipped a superb cross in from the right for Ardemagni to gleefully nod home from six yards in the dying seconds.
Two wins from their final three games will still be enough for Sassuolo to guarantee automatic promotion into Serie A, but few could have predicted that they would be cutting it so fine at this stage of the season. Verona for their part meanwhile made short work of an Ascoli side that is looking increasingly doomed to face relegation come the season’s end with 5-0 rout.
A Daniele Cacia penalty and a diving header from Juan Ignacio Gomez had the Gialloblu two up inside 14 minutes, while the dismissal of Giuseppe Prestia and a further spot-kick from Gomez effectively ended the contest with less than 20 minutes played. A fine finish from Raphael Martinho had the Ascoli fans streaming for the exits, while Cacia rounded off the scoring with a delicate lob five minutes before the break. The Gialloblu may have taken their foot off the gas in the second half, but this was every bit as comprehensive as the score line suggests.
They still nevertheless trail Livorno by a point after the Tuscan side eased to a 2-0 victory over relegation threatened Vicenza. Federico Dionisi set the Amaranto on their way with a composed fourth minute spot-kick, and though Paulinho saw a second penalty tipped onto the post by Walter Bremec shortly before the break, the Brazilian made amends by adding his side’s second on the hour mark. On Sunday afternoon meanwhile, Empoli kept alive the hopes of those sides chasing a play0off berth, going to within nine points 0f Verona with a 1-0 win over Cesena. Francesco Tavano grabbed what proved to be the winner with a well taken penalty after half an hour, while the second half dismissals of Massimo Volta and Pablo Granoche meant there was little hope of a comeback for the visitors.
Novara continue to look a good bet for a play-off place following a 3-3 draw with Padova in what was a truly incredible encounter. Emiliano Bonazzoli steered the ball in from close range to put Padova ahead in the 17th minute, only for Paolo Dellafiore to put the ball into his own net two minutes later under pressure from Haris Seferovic. A stunning long range effort from Flavio Lazzari gave Novara the lead five minutes later, before Francesco Bardi saved a powerful Manuel Iori penalty and Seferovic extended the half-time lead with a composed finish. A Giuseppe De Feudis volley reduced the arrears shortly after the restart, while Aniello Cutolo was denied the chance to draw his side level when the outstanding Bardi produced his second penalty save of the match on the hour mark. A string of fine saves from Bardi in the final 20 minutes looked to have secured the win for the Biancoazzurri, but in the 94th minute, Cutolo atoned for his earlier penalty miss with a thunderbolt into the top corner from six yards out, bringing the curtain down on one of the season’s most sensational matches.
Varese held onto the final play-off berth with a 2-0 win over Cittadella, with Moussa Kone’s impressive diving header and Giulio Ebagua’s last minute strike securing the points. Brescia are still breathing down their necks though following a narrow 1-0 victory over Reggina, with Sebastien De Maio heading in a second half winner that keeps the Lombardy side in the hunt for promotion, and keeps the Calabrian side mired in the relegation play-out places.
The play-off aspirations of both Juve Stabia and Ternana are now over after the two sides played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday. The Vespe required all three points to still be win with a chance of promotion going into the final weeks, and they looked to on course for victory after Salvatore Bruno had volleyed them in front after 14 minutes, but a late header from Luis Maria Alfageme salvaged a point for the visitors, meaning both sides are still not mathematically safe from relegation. Meanwhile Bari’s hopes of salvation were boosted with a 2-1 win over Spezia, with Francesco Fedato heading a second half winner just three minutes after Filippo Porcari’s thunderbolt had cancelled out Daniele Sciaudone’s first half opener.
Virtus Lanciano now have a three point cushion over the relegation places having come from behind to draw 1-1 with Crotone, with Gaetano Vastola cancelling out Giuseppe Abruzzese’s eighth minute header, but it could have been so much better had Alessandro Volpe not seen a late penalty tipped onto the post by Emanuele Concetti. Finally, it finished goalless in the clash between already relegated Pro Vercelli and Grosseto, as both sides look to avoid this season’s wooden spoon.
Player of the Week: Matteo Ardemagni (Modena)
Not only did the Atalanta loanee’s two goal salvo against Sassuolo cast fresh doubt on the promotion aspirations of Modena’s near neighbours, it also allowed him to reclaim a place as joint top scorer in Serie B with Verona’s Daniele Cacia, with both players now on 22 for the season. Ardemagni’s first against Sassuolo was a lesson in composure, neatly sidestepping the defence before steering the ball home, while his winning header demonstrated both power and precision.
Goal of the Week: Flavio Lazzari (Novara)
Novara have gone goal crazy since the turn of the year, finding the net on no fewer than 42 occasions in their 17 matches since the winter break. Flavio Lazzari’s precise pile driver against Padova will surely be amongst the pick of them come the end of the season, with the former Udinese midfielder controlling with his left before lashing the ball in off the post with his right.
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevertonFC_84
