Third place, six points behind leaders Ostiamare who were slowing down in the last four rounds (in which they collected five points) and two points behind second place occupied by Teramo who suffered their first defeat in the championship on the final day of the first round. Thus ends the ascending phase of the regular season for Ancona, who bids farewell to 2025 with a draw on the Notaresco pitch at the end of a match that could also have had worse outcomes, considering the numerical inferiority gained at the start of the second half, which forced the red and whites to defend the 1-1 for almost forty minutes with one man less.
Maurizi’s team started well, immediately constructing a clear scoring ball that landed at the feet of Zini, who, unmarked by Kouko, appeared alone in front of the outgoing Boccanera, choosing a correct lob as the solution but misjudging the shot, causing the ball to end over the crossbar. An error punished immediately afterwards: pocketed for the benefit of Forcini who enters the area and attempting to discard Salvati is put down by the Doric goalkeeper. The referee awards the penalty which captain Arrigoni scores with a central hit under the crossbar to make it 1-0 for the locals in the tenth minute. The Dorics’ equalizer takes shape in the 28th minute: first Boccanera miraculously saves Kouko from an undersized shot – following a throw-in – but as the action continues, Attasi is knocked out at the moment of the rebound from two steps. Another penalty, and it’s 1-1 thanks to the impeccable slap under the crossbar by Cericola who rebalances the match from eleven metres. More Ancona than Notaresco until the double whistle, with Zini who in the 32nd minute from a tight angle kicked to the near post but found the outside of the net and Miola in the 34th minute who forced Boccanera to fumble a treacherous cross shot.
The match changes face in the 53rd minute, when the referee sanctions Kouko’s entry from behind into the midfield circle with the yellow card, which added to the one received in the first half of the match by the Doric striker forces the red and whites to continue with ten against eleven. The match, in terms of the dangerous actions to be contemplated, effectively ends here: the repeated interruptions between substitutions, foul interventions and disciplinary sanctions (many yellow cards, five for Ancona with Salvati, Ceccarelli, Attasi, Zini and Teraschi ending up in the match director’s notebook in addition to the expulsion of Mister Maurizi) continually fragment the game. Ancona defends itself in an orderly manner, not allowing any space and Notaresco never ends up being dangerous. It ends 1-1 with the awareness of a second round to be faced that is still very open in the calculation of the fight for the top of the ranking. But the first test will be at the restart: the debut of Maurizi’s team, in 2026, will be on the pitch of Ostiamare, leader of Group F.
The Scoreboard
NOTARESCO-ANCONA 1-1 (1-1 pt)
NOTABLE FOOTBALL: Boccanera, Pjetri (63′ Pulsoni), Arrigoni, Zanocchia (68′ Belli), Forcini (68′ Buonavoglia), Di Carianomi, Ciutti (63′ Palazzese), Paudice, Andreassi, Pistillo, Quacquarelli. All. Vagnoni
On the bench: Perri, Formiconi, Scarpantoni, Rocchi, Di Giampietro
ANCONA: Salvati, Ceccarelli (81′ De Luca), Miola, Bonaccorsi, Rovinelli, Zini (77′ Teraschi), Cericola, Kouko, Sparandeo, Proromo, Attasi (75′ Meola). All. Maurizi
On the bench: Mengucci, Petito, Plini, Babbi, Calisto, Maspero
REFEREE: Papagno (Roma 2)
ASSISTANTS: Calce (Cassino) – Pernarella (Ciampino)
GOALS: 10′ Arrigoni from penalty., 30′ Cericola from penalty.
NOTE: Kouko sent off in the 53rd minute
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