ANSPI: Spirited Ambrit Comeback Rewarded with a place in the Regional Play-Offs!

1-1 with 15' to play: Mister Moses rallies the troops!

The scene was set and couln't have been more dramatic: coming into this game, Ambrit knew that if they could avoid defeat to third place Vigna Pia, then they would finish second and qualify for the Regional Play-offs.
Vigna Pia dominated the opening exchanges and dominated possession but, after just 5', it was Ambrit who scored against the run of play. A long clearance from Eric reached Pietro and he controlled the ball well, beat his marker and rolled the ball into the net.
Giacomo had a chance to make it 2-0 but his lob went just wide of the left-hand post.
Vigna Pia almost equalised with a long shot that slammed back from the inside of Eric's right-hand post but Ambrit too came really close when first Pietro and then Giacomo struck the woodwork in the same move: 1-0 at the first break.
Vigna Pia continued to pass, press and dominate possession in the second period and only a superb diving save by Eric kept them at bay. But he could do nothing two minutes later when Vigna Pia created an extra-man situation on the left and struck an unstoppable equaliser.
Joel had Ambrit's only real chance in this second period and Ambrit were relieved to make it to the break at 1-1.
The last period began and tensions were high in front of a sell-out crowd... and then disaster struck! A defensive mix-up at a throw-in left Eric out of position and Vigna Pia's captain punished him with an accurate shot to the corner: 2-1 to Vigna Pia meant they had now leapfrogged Ambrit to take 2nd place in the table.
But the game wasn't over yet and Ambrit's spirited team had by no means given up. They threw themselves into attack and were rewarded when Giacomo pounced on a loose ball and banged it home to salvage a precious point.
This was a result built on the team's most obvious attributes - a rock-solid defence; a meticulous, roving, energetic captain; and a tireless target man up front.
TEAM: Eric; Ludovico, Alessandro, Elias; Filippo (Capt), Giacomo; Pietro; Nikos, Joel.

FINAL TABLE

TEAM                             Played         Points

SANTOS                          8                 22

AMBRIT                          8                 15

VIGNA PIA                     8                 10

SAN GIROLAMO           8                 08

REAL MURATELLA      8                 02