If you register for free, you will be able to post threads, vote on polls and lots more. If you have problems with the registration or logging in, please contact the administrator.
Foggia come to southern Sicily during a fairly mediocre season by their expectations. Pietro Infantino returns in place of the disappointing Ursino, and Stephen Cooke is given his first start for the club.
Scoring an early goal away from home is always a boost, and that's exactly what Foggia did. 5 minutes in, a simple ball played forward to the edge of the area was controlled by Foggia striker Renato Greco. Dario Italia was caught completely flat footed and nowhere near tight enough on his opponent, giving Greco the time and space to turn and drive the ball into the roof of the net.
Giancarlo Ferrara got us back level again on 22 minutes. Good work by Cooke and Gallicchio down the right wing found Ferrara in the area with his back to goal, and the striker turned to smash home an equaliser. 1-1 at half-time, and Sabellini came on to replace Guastella at right back.
Just before the hour mark, Sabellini announced his arrival in the worst way; a cross from the right by De Zerbi resulted in the referee judging that Sabellini had jumped all over Greco in the area. Foggia's number 8 Michele Pazienza dispatched an impeccable penalty into the corner to put the visitors back in the lead at 2-1. It took them just 2 minutes to make it three, when Infantino fouled Vantaggiato just outside the area and Roberto De Zerbi curled an impressive free kick into the top corner. The 23 year old midfielder is spending the season on loan at Foggia from Serie A giants AC Milan, and his quality shone through there.
We pressed on to try and get back into the game, with Caramel, Gallicchio and Ferrara all going close with efforts on goal. Unfortunately Vladimiro Caramel's determination went a bit too far and landed him in hot water with the referee after a robust challenge on Brutto. The Foggia player made the most of it and the red card was a bit harsh, but there was nothing we could do and we were down to ten men.
With 5 minutes remaining, Tamburro played the ball infield to Pellegrino who cushioned a first time volley off to Marco Cirillo. Cirillo looked up to see Ferrara making a run down the left channel and found his teammate with a ball over the top. In behind the defence, Ferrara took his time and curled it smoothly around the keeper with the inside of his right foot.
Final score: Ragusa 2 - 3 Foggia
04-25-2003, 10:16 AM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #42
Another 3-2 loss, this time at home in front of a capacity crowd, providing yet more proof that defensive slip-ups are letting us down. We have shown that we are capable of creating chances and scoring goals, but if you carry on conceding 2 or 3 in return then it's going to make life difficult.
Giancarlo Ferrara had been awesome, a real thorn in the side of the Foggia defence who simply couldn't handle him. His 10th and 11th goals of the season (9 of them in the league) were just part of a man of the match performance and its a shame that we couldn't turn it into a win for the team. Gaspare Pellegrino had also put in another good display in the holding midfield role; if there's anyone more consistent than Ferrara it is him. Once again though, our increasingly poor defending cancelled out any of the efforts from our attack or midfield.
Up in Serie A, pre-season favourites AC Milan beat second placed Bologna 1-0 to maintain their unbeaten run in the league of an incredible 14 games - 12 wins, 2 draws, no losses, and only 4 goals conceded. If they are capable of maintaining their excellent current form, it is difficult to see any of the chasing pack being able to mount a challenge for the title this season.
04-25-2003, 10:17 AM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #43
We travel to Palma Campania this weekend, just up the road from Napoli. With us down in 14th place, our opponents Palmese are riding high in 3rd position and coming off the back of two 4-0 victories. After taking Giugliano apart at home, they then pulled off a fantastic result by doing the same away at 2nd place Acireale. When comparing their recent form against ours I think a point today would be more than pleasing.
Antonio and I have been concentrating on tactics in training this week as we devise a new approach for this match. We will be switching to a 4-5-1 formation in an attempt to control the midfield and allow our opponents less joy down the flanks. Giancarlo Ferrara will be left up front on his own, with our intention being to soak up the pressure and hit them on the break. Carmelo Bonarrigo gets a rare chance to start with Vladimiro Caramel on his 1 match suspension for the red card, and Manoni and Cooke will serve as the wide players.
It was vitally important that we didn't concede another early goal and we achieved that by managing to hold Palmese for the entire first half. In injury time at the end of the half we even almost stole an opener, as Ferrara ran at his marker and saw his shot skim past the outside of the post.
At half-time I was pleased with how things were going. We hadn't really created much but we had looked much tighter without the ball, with both Manoni and Cooke working very hard on the flanks. Bonarrigo was again showing little involvement so he came off to be replaced by Alessandro Bonaffini.
Ten minutes into the second half, Giuseppe Lenea stroked a low goal kick out to Guastella at right back. The youngster brought the ball forward to the halfway line, then swung a long ball high across the pitch to where Manolo Manoni had made a diagonal run infield from the left wing. He nipped in behind the defence, controlling the dropping ball first time on the run, and from the edge of the area whipped a right foot shot towards goal as the keeper started to come out. Our dugout exploded with joy as Ferrara chased the delighted Manoni across the pitch, we were 1-0 up!
For the remaining half an hour it was time to defend as the home side tried to increase the pressure. On 80 minutes I replaced Ferrara to put Lupo's fresh legs on up front, and for the last ten minutes we were clinging on for dear life. Palmese had all the possession, trying to find a way through, and we were working desperately to hack it clear and defend our lead. Gaspare Pellegrino made a couple of vital last-gasp interceptions in our area, and Lenea was called on to make a couple of saves.
As the clock ticked onto 90, Palemese's Gatta found space down the left wing and crossed towards the six yard box. Landini collected it with his back to our goal, swivelled about 9 yards out, and hooked the ball goalwards with his right foot. Giuseppe Lenea flung himself forward to get anything on the shot, and it deflected off some part of his anatomy towards the gaping net... the ball bobbled off the base of the near post and Dario Italia was there to hoof it out for a throw-in.
Final score: Palmese 0 - 1 Ragusa
04-25-2003, 02:13 PM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #44
I have no nails left and my nerves are frayed, but we are home with 3 points. I cannot lie and say we were the better team and deserved the win, it was a real smash and grab job with our winning goal coming against the run of play, but that's really what we had gone there to do. The lads worked tremendously hard and fought tooth and claw to hang on for our first away victory, with a slice of luck here or there, so they deserve plenty of credit.
In many ways a fortunate 3 points but also points gained through sweat and determination, and it's always satisfying when a gameplan pays off. We defended in numbers and caught them with a swift attack just as we had hoped, so you could say everything went according to plan... just. Considering Palmese had scored 8 goals in their previous 2 matches and were doing well up in 3rd place, we can be even more satisfied with the result.
It was also a good day for the two youngest members of our squad. The return of Sabellini from injury has put 18 year old Stefano Gustella's starting place under pressure, but he responded to the competition yesterday by putting in one of his better performances. Aside from letting Gatta get down the wing at the end, he looked very solid and made some important interceptions. Giuseppe Lenea also did his job in goal, even if his stop in the 90th minute was not the most stylish or calculated save he will ever make. At just 17 he has convinced me that he is already our first choice keeper, so Nicolas Cinalli has a fight on his hands if he wishes to regain the place he held at the start of the season.
Those 3 points lift us back up to 11th, ahead of Giugliano and Lodigiani on goal difference. We will face the latter in our final game of the calendar year when we meet next Monday.
04-26-2003, 05:35 AM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #45
Thanks very much Agathron, I'm glad you're enjoying it
Monday 23rd December 2002
Our first opportunity to play our former assistant manager’s new team as they travel down to Sicily. We will switch back to our usual formation for this one, with Caramel and Gallicchio returning to the starting eleven.
The first half is all Ragusa. Manoni, Caramel, Ferrara and Gallicchio all had chances but veteran keeper Attilio Gregori is on form and keeps the visitors level at half-time. Just after the half he continues to defy us, with two amazing double saves including an unbelievable stop when it looked like Gallicchio had an easy tap in.
It takes 62 minutes to make our dominance tell. Stephen Cooke worked a one-two with substitute Sabellini down the right and whipped in a near post cross, for Claudio Gallicchio to finally break Greogori’s resistance with a glancing header. 1-0.
With 15 minutes to go I replaced Ferrara with Lupo; after this Lodigiani seemed to wake up and started to take the game to us. A very slick passing move found Pantano open in the area, and he sent the ball to Lenea’s left for a shock equalizer. I couldn’t believe it, we had dominated the entire game and a couple of minutes of possession had given the away team a goal.
As if the previous game had not been tense enough, there was excitement left in this one too. With 89 minutes on the clock, Pellegrino laid the ball off to Vladimiro Caramel in the centre circle, who in turn looked forward for Claudio Gallicchio. The pass deflected off a defender but still found its way through to Claudio, who raced with another defender on his way towards goal. Gregori started to come out, Gallicchio struck the shot straight at him, but it was powerful enough to ricochet off the underside of the keeper’s arm and trickle over the line.
Final score: Ragusa 2 – 1 Lodigiani
04-26-2003, 06:01 PM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #47
We had left it very late indeed but the win was no more than we deserved. Pellegrino and Caramel had dominated the entire midfield and were at the centre of everything, and Cooke was also lively. I’m glad that Gallicchio was able to get two goals, but with the chances that he had he really could have helped himself to 3 or 4.
Antonio and I both went for a quick drink with Emanuele Giampiccolo after the game, then as the rest of the team headed back to Ragusa, Stephen Cooke and I both stayed in Rome and caught the earliest available flight back home to England for Christmas.
Thursday 26th December 2002
Boxing Day gave me my first real chance to catch up with events in English football. Arsenal maintained their lead at the top with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Highbury, extending the gap to a massive 13 points. Two goals against his former team by Andy Cole helped Blackburn to a 3-1 win over Manchester United, who currently lie in 4th place.
Second place belongs to this season’s surprise team Middlesbrough, with Steve McLaren’s men destroying Tottenham 4-0 at home. Spurs are having an awful season, in fact so bad that Glenn Hoddle announced his resignation from the job just before Christmas. German Klaus Topmoller was quickly installed as the new boss, but he has the daunting task of dragging the London side off the bottom of the table; historically, no team bottom of the Premiership at Christmas has survived the drop.
Thursday 2nd January 2003
The footballer of the year awards were announced, as follows: World Player of the year - Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona) World Footballer of the year - Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan) European Footballer of the year - Fabio Cannavaro (Inter Milan) European Goalkeeper of the year - Roberto Bonano (Barcelona) European Defender of the year - Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) European Midfielder of the year - Marc Overmars (Barcelona) European Striker of the year - Michael Owen (Liverpool)
The opening of the transfer window greets me on my return to Sicily. As much as we need to strengthen the defence we also have things to deal with closer to home. Simone Tamburro, Gaspare Pellegrino, Claudio Gallicchio and Giancarlo Ferrara, all key players, have contracts that run out in July. It is vitally important that we get all four of them signed up to new contracts as soon as possible.
The first activity of the transfer window is Pietro Cutaia’s long planned move to Matera in Serie D. Pietro’s contract actually expired at the turn of the new year and he leaves on a free. I have a sneaky feeling that the next player to leave might be Argentinian Nicolas Cinalli, who understandably is not pleased with being the second choice goalkeeper and has not looked too happy of late.
04-27-2003, 10:11 PM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #48
We make the familiar trip to the Napoli area again today to face 13th placed Giugliano. Following our win before Christmas we are above them in 10th, our highest position of the season.
Seeing as the defensive tactic worked so well at Palmese we will return to it for this fixture, and despite Gallicchio’s brace he will make way and allow Ferrara to continue as the lone striker.
Four minutes in Pellegrino passed to Stephen Cooke, and Guigliano player Castellano ploughed through the back of the young midfielder at the halfway line. As if that wasn’t enough, he then got up and gave Stephen a helping shove back to the floor. The referee had no option but to show Castellano an instant red card.
Despite being down to ten men the home side manage to keep it 0-0 until half time. Facing a good opportunity to go out and take an away game by the horns, do I stick with the defensive formation to play safe or switch back to our normal formation and go for the win? Hoping I wouldn’t regret it, I pass on instructions to switch to 4-3-1-2 and Marco Cirillo gets to play up front for once.
On 51 minutes captain Simone Tamburro chips the ball down the left wing to Giancarlo Ferrara. Giancarlo holds the ball up, delaying the cross and looking for a target in the box, then spots Tamburro following up and cuts it back to the edge of the area. Tamburro controls, knocks it out of his feet just inside the area, and then unleashes a low right foot drive through the crowd. The keeper manages to get a hand on it but can’t stop it, and we’re 1-0 up.
I immediately give the order to change back to 4-5-1, but we continue to make all the pressing. Giugliano keeper Corona saves a couple of efforts from Ferrara, then Vladimiro Caramel falls awkwardly on his arm and has to come off. Giugliano try to get back into it in the last 10 minutes but we run out 1-0 winners.
Final score: Giugliano 0 – 1 Ragusa
04-27-2003, 10:13 PM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #49
A third straight victory takes us up to up to the dizzy heights of 9th place, exactly mid-table exactly mid-way through the season. After every team has played each other once, the Serie C2/C table looks like THIS.
Salvatore reported that Vladimiro Caramel’s injury is not as bad as first feared, he has only sprained his wrist and should be back in time for the weekend’s fixture against his former club Acireale. Missing out on the trip to Acireale will be Simone Tamburro, who picked up his 8th yellow card of the season to earn himself another 1 match suspension.
04-27-2003, 10:15 PM
Ragusa to riches (the toe-end of the boot) Post #50
We have had mixed responses from the rounds of contract talks over the past few days. After negotiating back and forth, Simone Tamburro, Gaspare Pellegrino and Claudio Gallicchio have all finally agreed to accept our improved offers. The three of them will sign on as our first full-time players until the summer of 2005.
The bad news comes from top scorer Giancarlo Ferrara. Although he claims that he is in no hurry to leave the club, he feels that what we can offer him is nowhere near what he thinks he should be earning. He even suggested that it would be in the club’s best interests to raise money by selling him, as our most highly valued player.
Annoyingly, he is probably correct on both accounts.
We have also had no success at all in our attempts to bring new players in. We have issued several offers of transfers and loans for a list of central defenders up and down the Italian football leagues, but our efforts are yet to bear any fruit.
Linear Mode
