Serie B 2012/13 Review: Week 40

Friday 3^rd May

Verona 3 – 1 Pro Vercelli

Saturday 4^th May

Brescia 3 – 2 Ascoli
Cesena 3 – 1 Juve Stabia
Cittadella 1 – 2 Reggina
Crotone 2 – 1 Modena
Grosseto 2 – 2 Varese
Novara 0 – 1 Bari
Spezia 1 – 1 Virtus Lanciano
Ternana 1 – 1 Livorno
Vicenza 1 – 5 Empoli

Monday 6^th May

Sassuolo 1 – 1 Padova

Sassuolo’s interminable wait for promotion continued after they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Padova on Monday evening.

A win would have all but secured an historic first promotion into Italian football’s top division for the Neroverdi, and they looked to be on course for all three points when Emanuele Terranova converted a penalty inside the opening two minutes. Padova have shown a marked improvement in recent weeks following the return of Fulvio Pea, and drew level through Aniello Cutolo midway through the first half. The league leaders pushed for the vital winner during the second half, but the Venetian side held out for a creditable draw that will see the promotion race go to the wire.

Sassuolo’s final day opponents Livorno meanwhile dropped to third after they too were held to a dramatic 1-1 draw away to Ternana. The Tuscan side had taken the lead through a Paulinho header shortly before the hour mark, and looked to be on course for a routine win. In the third minute of injury time however, Davide Carcuro registered the home side’s only shot on target of the match, and it was enough to beat Vincenzo Fiorillo in the Livorno net and secure a barely believable point.

The defeat was hugely damaging to Livorno given that Verona had cruised to victory against already relegated Pro Vercelli on Friday evening. Goals from Fabrizio Cacciatore, Juan Ignacio Gomez and Alessandro Sgrigna had the home side out of sight with just under 20 minutes left on the clock, and though Pietro Iemmello pulled one back with a composed finish five minutes from time, it proved to be merely a consolation for the visitors. The result saw the Gialloblu move into second place, a point ahead of Livorno with just two games remaining.

Elsewhere, Empoli kept alive the prospect of the play-offs with a 5-1 rout of Vicenza, whose only hope of safety is now through the relegation play-out. A brace each for Francesco Tavano and Massimo Maccarone plus a solo effort from Lorenzo Tonelli had Empoli five goals to the good inside just 36 minutes, and though Nicola Rigoni ever so slightly reduced the arrears on the stroke of half time, there was no way back for the Venetian side. Novara’s play-off place is under threat following a surprising 1-0 defeat at home to Bari though, with Francesco Caputo grabbing a second half winner that should all but see the side from the south safe for another season.

Brescia moved into the top six having edged a five goal thriller with relegation haunted Ascoli, with an Andrea Caracciolo hat-trick giving them the spoils late on after they were twice pegged back through a Sebastien De Maio own goal and Robert Feczesin penalty. Varese meanwhile drop to seventh after letting a two goal lead slip against bottom side Grosseto. First half goals from Neto Pereira and Giulio Ebagua looked to have put Varese on course for a routine win, but a Federico Piovaccari effort midway through the second half set the stage for a dramatic finale, with Souleymane Coulibaly snatching a morale boosting point in the 95^th minute.

Eighth placed Modena are the last remaining side who could theoretically sneak into the play-offs, but their chances were dealt a near fatal blow with a 2-1 defeat to Crotone on Saturday. Mirko Eramo had the hosts ahead inside the opening quarter of an hour, before Denilson Gabionetta made it two from the penalty spot shortly before the break. Sinisa Andelkovic pulled one back for Modena on the stroke of half-time, but their hopes of securing a point were dashed when Andelkovic was dismissed with time running out.

In the battle to beat the drop, Reggina came from a goal down to secure a dramatic 2-1 win over Cittadella, who had taken an early lead through Antonio Di Nardo and looked to be on course for the points until late goals from Federico Gerardi and Alessio Campagnacci turned the game on its head. The result saw the Calabrian side close to within a point of Virtus Lanciano, who recorded their 19^th draw of the season away at Spezia. Marco Sansovini put the hosts ahead inside the opening ten minutes with his 19^th goal of the campaign, before Carlo Mammarella secured what could yet be a vital point with an 18^th minute equaliser. Finally, a brace from Davide Succi and a solo effort from Derlis Meza gave Cesena victory over Juve Stabia, boosting their own hopes of survival and ending the Vespe’s play-off aspirations in the process.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevertonFC_84