MESSINA – The match between Acr Messina and Vibonese ended in a draw, but coach Romano’s men are more disappointed with a late victory. It’s still important to have moved up the table by earning a point with their fifth draw of the season, as they outnumbered their home team by away points. However, this was the second time the Biancoscudati had a lead, thanks to a goal from substitute Saverino, who scored as he had done in the previous match at Castrum Favara, before Lagzir equalized. Fatigue and confusion among the Messina team in the final minutes also led to Sorrentino’s fourth clean sheet, who was blameless on the goal.
For the first time, Coach Romano is fielding a starting eleven he’d already fielded a few games ago. Specifically, they’re the same players who started the match against Reggina almost a month ago, which resulted in the team’s first home win. The two new players aren’t even on the bench: Sorrentino in goal, Clemente returns to the center with Trasciani and De Caro, Aprile in midfield, Garufi and Tesija with Maisano and Orlando on the wings. Up front, Tourè and Roseti, the starting attacking pair in seven of the eleven games.
A first half that struggled to get off the ground. Vibonese fired shots from outside the box with Musy and Lagzir, with only one corner taken in the 42nd minute. Messina was exhausted, and the heavy pitch certainly didn’t help. Roseti’s only shot was between the posts on the half-hour mark; Tourè could have found space behind the opposition’s high line but was consistently held back. In the second half, the away team seemed more in control, but thanks to substitutions, Messina took the lead with a decisive Saverino. The white-and-blues attempted to rally, but fatigue and some lapses in concentration allowed Vibonese to equalize through Lagzir. The draw was deserved based on what we saw on the pitch, but it’s disappointing how it came about.
First half
The match began with both teams standing still for a minute to remember a deceased fan. Then the action began, and Vibonese sank practically from the first opportunity with Lagzir, who fired a shot from outside the box in the 2nd minute, parried by Sorrentino, who blocked the ball in two stages but failed to convey much confidence. Messina responded in the 7th minute with Tourè’s shot from outside the box, but also off target. Lagzir responded at the other end, but the ball went high over the crossbar. In the 12th minute, another shot was aimed at Messina, this time by Musy, who attempted to test Sorrentino, but the ball went wide.
In the 18th minute, a free kick from the three-quarter line for Vibonese, Balla attempted a cross that almost turned into a shot on goal but went wide. In the 26th minute, Tourè had plenty of space on the left. He had been held up briefly but didn’t draw a whistle. On his next run, he broke away from Dicorato and, arriving at the byline, passed to the onrushing Roseti. The ball contracted, but the Calabrian defense cleared it. The visitors broke back, and another shot from Lagzir from outside the box forced Sorrentino to make a save, but the shot was central.
Messina’s first shot on target came in the 31st minute, Roseti weakly landing in Marano’s arms. The Dicorato-Tourè duel continued several times, with the Calabrian defender frequently yanking the striker’s shirt. Neither the referee nor the linesman whistled, however, and tensions flared, with coach Romano being called out after protests, given that the potential foul had occurred in front of his bench. The Rossoblu took the first corner of the match in the 42nd minute, with no cause for concern for the Biancoscudo. In the 45th minute, the referee refused to allow any added time and sent the teams to the locker rooms.
Second half
The restart was unchanged, with Messina’s first chance coming through Maisano, who attempted a long-range strike. Aside from this flash, the match resumed at a slow pace. In the 55th minute, Messina also had a long-range shot, with Lagzir barely testing Sorrentino with a weak, central effort. The visitors’ first substitution came in the 57th minute, with Carnevale coming on for Di Gilio. The game broke open in the 65th minute with a long ball from Maisano that rewarded Saverino’s run. The midfielder controlled the ball, had to move slightly to the side, but his diagonal right-footed shot was powerful and precise, beating Marano to give the home side the lead.
Corre ai ripari mister Esposito che prepara un doppio cambio, ma il Messina trova energie e conquista il primo angolo della sua partita sulla conclusione deviata a Maisano. Proprio lui, colto da crampi, lascia il campo poco dopo a Yekalej. Arriva il doppio cambio degli ospiti fuori Bonotto e Balla dentro Dick e Marsico. Contromossa qualche minuto dopo per mister Romano che toglie Orlando e mette Bosia. Al 78′ conclusione potente di Yekalej, respinge coi pugni verso l’alto Marano che poi blocca al volo.
Nel finale si butta avanti al squadra ospite finché all’89’, su una mischia in area, il pallone filtra in area piccola dove Lagzir da solo e da pochi passi insacca per il pareggio. Cinque minuti concessi di recupero, il Messina molto stanco, la Vibonese ci prova ancora e guadagna un angolo quasi allo scadere, si difende facendo muro la squadra biancoscudata. Possesso palla ormai stabilmente dei calabresi, il Messina stringe i denti e porta a casa il pareggio.
A.C.R. Messina – Vibonese 1-1
Acr Messina (3-5-2): Sorrentino; Clemente, Trasciani, De Caro; Maisano (dal 70′ Yekalej), Aprile, Garufi, Tesija (dal 59′ Saverino), Orlando (dal 77′ Bosia); Roseti (dal 81′ Fravola), Touré.
In panchina: Paduano, Zucco, Azzara, Elia, Bombaci.
Allenatore: Giuseppe Romano.
Vibonese (5-3-2): Marano; Castillo, Caiazza, Marafini (dal 83′ Maicol), Dicorato, Bonotto (dal 71′ Dick Livingstone); Balla (dal 71′ Marsico), Bucolo, Carnevale (dal 57′ Di Gilio); Musy, Lagzir.
In panchina: Ferilli, De Salvo, Fragalà, Keita, Marramao.
Allenatore: Raffaele Esposito.
Marcatori: Saverino 65′ (M), Lagzir 89′ (M)N.
Ammoniti: De Caro 39′ (M), Aprile 45′ (M), Clemente 86′ (M).
Calci d’angolo: 2-2. Recupero: 0’ + 5’.
Arbitro: Domenico Mascolo di Castellammare di Stabia.
Assistenti: Benedetto Casale di Formia & Valerio Fatati di Latina.
