BALUBA 3 - 3 Marani (381805981)

It had rained all day, but 22323 hardy fans still made it out to SAN PIRO. Bo Patzina was the appointed referee. BALUBA tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. They fielded: Santa Marta - Nacci, Puchner, Belsky Crespo - Rubes, Bierry, Brooks, Alberoni, Erich - Bergonzoni, Ottiger.

Marani started off with a 3-4-3 lineup. Starters: Salerno - Chelariu, Bargo, Berardo - Fois, Della Martora, Heckner, Buonocore - Brahe, De Laender, Mineri.

The muddy pitch made the game a gritty affair, which seemed to suit R. Heckner just fine. BALUBA's A. Alberoni tried to break through in the middle repeatedly, but couldn't get past the visitors' defenders. After 22 minutes of play, Marani's P. Della Martora unexpectedly struck an inside out ball from no angle at all and E. Buonocore slotted it into the net for 0 - 1. With 31 minutes played, after a good run down the left, R. Bergonzoni went down looking for a penalty after a challenge from the visitors' right fullback, but the referee waved play on, and later warned him for diving. H. Ottiger of BALUBA received a yellow card after 32 minutes for unsportsmanlike behaviour. With a shot curled in from just outside the middle of the penalty area after 33 minutes played, P. Belsky Crespo of BALUBA made the score 1 - 1. Halftime score was 1 - 1. BALUBA claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 59 percent.

The terraces were silenced after 76 minutes when Marani's R. Heckner put the guests ahead 1 - 2, following an attack on the right. Due to some great work on the right wing BALUBA's H. Ottiger was able to even the score after 77 minutes to make the score 2 - 2. 2 - 3 was the score with 82 minutes played, after O. Chelariu cut through the central defence and chipped home a goal for Marani. After 87 minutes of play, L. Nacci evened things up for BALUBA with an impressive goal coming up the middle. 3 - 3. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by BALUBA, with 58 percent of the ball.

BALUBA's top performer was clearly Y. Bierry. On the other hand, A. Santa Marta's play was disheartening. The most dominating Marani player was without a doubt M. Mineri. F. Salerno was a disappointment, however. The match ends 3 - 3.