zipman

24.08.05 - 19:30 - Sant'Abruzzese, Melfi - Serie C Cup Grp G

Melfi - Foggia (Serie C1/A, Puglia) 1:2 (1:2)

Dry 22°C
Attendance: 2171
Referee: Marco Gabriele

Melfi (4-4-2)
Nicoletti -
Marciano - Patarini - Cuomo - Avolio
Selvaggi - Doumbia - Cammarota (c) - Liberti
Di Giacomo - Lauria

Goals:
0:1 (9')
0:2 (21')
1:2 Di Giacomo (23')

MoM: Fabio Fanelli (AMLC, Foggia, scoring one and making the play for the visitors)

Derby time in Melfi and we welcomed big brothers Foggia (where we always have to change trains) to Sant'Abruzzese. Of course we were again underdogs, also because I had to rest some regulars due to exhaustion. Sadly Foggia took advantage of that and taking the lead after some bad Marciano corner marking. It looked very bad for us after they doubled their lead. A glimmer of hope after 23 minutes. Di Giacomo and Lauria press Foggia's goalkeeper whose clearance goes directly back to Di Giacomo. The 19 year old loanie didn't hesitate and tried his luck from 35 yards: GOAL for Melfi. The game was open again, but my guys couldn't turn the pressure on. Foggia should have increased their league, but wasted chances.
At halftime I had to substitute my go to guy Lauria and captain Cammarota due to minor injuries and we started badly. The game was boring and it seemed to end in the fashion. But the Melfi crowd (the stadium was almost sold out) awoke my guys just before the game ended. Di Giacomo (87', 93') and Lorusso (94') had big chances to secure a crucial point for us, but they didn't.
Now we have to beat Chieti in the last match to have a chance to advance to next round.

zipman

26.08.05

We shipped Domenico Tursi to Non-Leaguers Centobuchi for a fee of 5,000 €. Centubuchi fans are not really happy that Tursi joined them.

European Super Cup
Liverpool - CSKA Moscow 0:1

zipman

28.08.05 - 15:00 - Guido D'Ippolito, Lamezia Terme - Serie C2/C

Vigor Lemezia (Calabria) - Melfi 0:1 (0:0)

Dry 29°C
Attendance: 1422
Referee: Sergio Ranghetti

Melfi (4-4-2)
Nicoletti
Marciano - Patarini - Cuomo - Avolio
Selvaggi - Rodio - Cammarota (c) - Gravante
Di Giacomo - Lauria

Goal:
0:1 Lauria (80')

MoM:
Michele Nicoletti (GK, Melfi, saved everything and often rescued the mistakes committed by his defenders)

This time we didn't have to travel to Italy's Eastern Coast, but the West. Really long overnight trip to Calabria where we faced Vigor Lemezia, who were slight favorites for the match. Lauria had the big chance to score for us after only one minute, but he didn't get his shot in. The rest of first half the Calabrians dominated but our goalkeeper ruined their chances. Sadly our playmaker Gravante went down with an injury and will be out up to one month.
During the break we made another substition bringing on Venturini for the exhausted Di Giacomo. The game became rather boring and it smelled like a draw. Substituting captain Cammarota with Esposito was a good move, and suddenly we started to create three quality chances. The hosts were tired and acted nervous, starting to remember that they didn't win any of their Serie C Cup matches. Their defender played a horrible pass which was intercepted by Lauria. Lauria didn't take any second chance and scored easily from a one on one situation. On two similar occasions after 83 and 88 minutes he didn't manage to decide the game. Vigor almost equalized after getting a number of corners in extra time, but Nicoletti kept calm rescuing the three points for Melfi

zipman

29.08.05

As foreseen we sold Beniamino Liberti to Serie C1 outfit Messese for 30.000 €. Didn't like this guy too much: decent potential, high wage and contract running out. Off you go just before the transferdeadline!

We sold together six players to relieve our wage budget a bit. At the end of august we are 16.000 €/year above it, when I came to Melfi we were 203.000 €/year above. So at least this problem is solved.

Now my young team has to show if it's capable to deal without some proven names. On the 1st 11 Federico Lauria and Michele Nicoletti are the only players with some experience, while veteran D'Angelo didn't break into the 1st team. All other players are 24 or younger.

30.08.05

19 year-old sweeper Marcello Fennino is sold for 1.000 € to non-leaguers Salò. He had talent, but on his position I have enough depth due those DMC's I have in abundance.

retired_puly1364

Your finally ending the summer!

zipman

31.08.05 - 19:30 - Sant'Abruzzese, Melfi - Serie C Cup Grp G

Melfi - Chieti (Serie C1/B, Abruzzo) 1:1 (0:1)

Dry 23°C
Attendance: 1020
Referee: Daniele Tombolini

Melfi (4-4-2)
Nicoletti
Marciano - Patarini - Cuomo - Avolio (c)
Montano - Rodio - Esposito - Gaeta
Roberto - Lauria

Goals:
0:1 (35')
1:1 La Porta (80' - direct freekick)

MoM:
Nazazio Pignotti (DL, Chieti, rock solid in defense)

This was our make or break game in the Serie C Cup. Only a win would give us a realistic chance to advance. But it was our opponents from the higher league who started like if they had to overcome a four goal deficit. They had seven shots on my goal within the first 15 minutes. Anyway had my striker Francesco Roberto to give us the lead after 16 minutes, but he couldn't score. The rest of the 1st half was more open, but Chieti took the deserved lead after a mistake by Luigi Cuomo.
I tried to solve something from the match by replacing playmaker Carmine Gaeta by Luigi Gaetano, who made his Melfi debut. Roberto was close to goal twice, but we still didn't pressure Chieti enough. This should change after La Porta and Di Giacomo entered the match after 71 minutes. La Porta scored by a direct free kick and the last ten minutes were pure Melfi domination. Sadly none of our good chances lead to another goal. Arrividerci Serie C Cup, now we can focus on the league.

zipman

BAN (SF) - Fritsche furious over Serie C Cup groups

After crashing out of Serie C Cup group stage Melfi manager Andreas Fritsche was furious IFF's (Italian Football Federation) placement of groups. Melfi had to play three teams from higher league Serie C1, while other groups consisted only of Serie C2 teams.

Fritsche hinted that he believes the Fossies (local mafia of Foggia which won the Serie C Cup group easily) bribed IFF to place Foggia in an easy group.

Melfi has only a hypothetic chance to go to next round if Chieti loses its last group match with at least four goals.

zipman

07.09.05 - 19:30 - Sant'Abruzzese, Melfi - Serie C2/C

Melfi 6th - Andria Bat 5th (Puglia) 1:1 (1:1)

Dry 24°C
Attendance: 1241
Referee: Piero Bacci

Melfi (4-4-2)
Nicoletti
Marciano - D'Angelo - Cuomo - Avolio
Selvaggi - La Porta - Cammarota (c) - Gaetano
Lauria - Di Giacomo

Goals:
0:1 (4')
1:1 La Porta (27' - penalty)

MoM:
Antonio La Porta (ML, Melfi, scored our goal and being a constand threat until he went off injured in the 76th minute)

Match against promotion contenders Andria who were playing in Serie C1 last season. Andria are also a team not that far from Melfi, only 80 km's East towards the coast.
The visitors started in style and took the lead through a 25 yard strike. Anyway the game didn't became a fiasko and we were creating quality chances with Cammarota having the best one. Replacement playmaker Luigi Gaetano was pushed by a Andria defender and the linesman signalled penalty, which La Porta converted in style. Lauria had another good chance before halftime.
The second half was an open affair where both teams had the chance to win the game. Altogether
the draw was a fair result and I was happy to see my guys could compete with a promotion contender
Red hot La Porta is out up to two weeks and I'm running out of creative midfielders.

Elsewhere: Holland - Andorra 11:0

zipman

09.09.05

Strange Serie C Cup. As one of the five best fourth placed teams Melfi qualified for the "Qualifying Round of the Serie C Cup". AS newcomers to Serie C2 nobody at the club has any idea about the rules of this mysterious cup. We are drawn against Serie C1/B outfit Acireale.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Q | Foggia | | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 10 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2nd | Q | Chieti | | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 7 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 3rd | Q | Giulianova | | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4th | Q | Melfi | | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 4 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 5th | | Pro Vasto | | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 1 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

zipman

Yes, game doesn't go so quickly when you are writing a story. But it's nice, because you play much "deeper" this way.