Atletico 3 - 5 Ascensione (393917523)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 556 at Acireale today. Epi Wiewel was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Diderich Drexl and Baldur Hreiðarsson. Atletico tactics involved an interesting 3-5-2 combination. They fielded: Ulijn - Duyzend, Olthof, Cavada - Moestrup, Monteagudo, Stael, Faye, Carneirinho - Diaferia, Bettens.

Ascensione decided to use a 4-4-2 set up. Lineup: Cozzella - Ferchichi, Scagnoli, Zimmerer, Ligi - Criscione, Bradshaw, Dumitrescu, Pillitu - Goldmann, Jesiołowski.

Atletico were mostly trying to use their skill at attacking on the flanks. With 10 minutes played, the visitors broke through on the right after some poor defending. H. Goldmann put the ball away for 0 - 1. After 25 minutes, F. Diaferia sent the corner kick right to A. Faye who headed it sharply past the keeper. 1 - 1! After 26 minutes, Ascensione put themselves up 1 - 2, as A. Zimmerer finished off a strike from the left with a real cannonball of a shot. H. Goldmann increased the visitors' lead by putting a volley away after a pass from the right. 1 - 3. B. Dumitrescu came close to extending the visitors' lead when he found himself completely unmarked in front of the goal after a pass through the middle. He tried to lift the ball over W. Ulijn but overcooked it and hit the bar instead. After a savage shot that could only be parried by the keeper, D. Bettens demonstrated his experience by being in just the right place to slot home the rebound. His goal for Atletico 37 minutes into the match made the score 2 - 3. The visitors' L. Jesiołowski took advantage of a misunderstanding between the home side's goalie and centre backs 38 minutes into the match. 2 - 4 for Ascensione. D. Bettens was the first to reach the corner kick, but his header was blocked by the keeper. However, Atletico's D. Monteagudo managed to get hold of the rebound and tucked the ball into the empty net. 3 - 4 Ascensione had to manage with a reduced squad after 39 minutes, as H. Goldmann got sent off for a needless foul away from the game's action. Halftime score was 3 - 4. Ascensione had most of the ball, with 64 percent of possession.

S. Criscione of Ascensione took advantage of a mistake on the home side's right after 63 minutes which increased the away team's lead to 3 - 5. The referee showed Ascensione's F. Pillitu the yellow card after a particularly nasty challenge. The home crowd cheered when, after 75 minutes, S. Criscione's charge up the middle resulted in the keeper making one of his best saves of the day. Against a lesser team, Ascensione could very well have succeeded with their smart indirect free kick routine after 77 minutes. A trio of passes took the ball all the way past the defenders, but by then the intended recipient was already blocked off and the keeper could make a leisurely save. Atletico's L. Cavada got himself booked for a foul. 79 minutes into the match, G. Ligi came through the middle and almost added to his team's lead, but the shot went wide. Possession in this half belonged to Ascensione, who controlled the ball 64 percent of the time.

Atletico's top performer was clearly M. Olthof. A. Faye was a disappointment, however. L. Jesiołowski performed admirably for Ascensione. M. Ferchichi on the other hand, had a terrible day. The match ends 3 - 5.