Napoli gets the victory.

Napoli gets the victory against Foggia after the draw against Sora in their last
game. Naples, after a magnificence fight back, beat Foggia in the last minute.
The Sky Blues consolidate their third place position in the league, gaining
revenge for the heavy defeat sustained in the previous game and getting the 6th
consecutive home victory. The draw with Avellino and Rimini also keeps the Sky
Blues on track for gaining the second place in the league.

Due to muscle problems Capparelli and Sosa were missing from the team sheet.
Against Foggia Edy Reja did not introduce any changes to the team tactics,
preferring to keep to the 4-2-3-1 formation. After not even one minute the Sky
Blues failed to score a goal when Pià hit a ball on the run from a cross by
Montervino, the ball going tamely to ground. In the 2nd minute, Grieco stunned
the fans by putting the visitors into the lead. Grava failed to hold the Foggia
player by conceding too much space to the free flowing player. Naples was
daydreaming, out of the game and with the minds on other things. The absence of
Fontana was being felt. What was missing was someone to control and guide the
play.

In the 4th minute Montervino found Calaiò free in the penalty area but the final
ball from the centre forward was too weak and too central to bother Marruocco.
Foggia, were well set up, they waited for the Sky Blues to advance into their 50
metre zone and then counter attacked quickly. After about 30 minutes play,
Corrent threatened with a free kick that became a shot-come-cross that
Marruocco mis-hit. Too little to even up the game. Reja's team had ball
possession and territory where it didn't count, they did not get the into key
areas and they did not give the impression that they could really push forward.
In the 38th minute Abate attacked from the right, enters the penalty area, but
instead of taking advantage of his position, prefers to pass to Calaiò who
weakly kicks the ball into the hands of Marruocco.

At the start of the second half everything happens. We seem to be seeing
another Naples, but they should remember to be aware of a counter attack from
Foggia. In the 3rd minute Consonni makes contact with the ball after a cross
from Abate, he is only a few metres out from the line but Marruocco manages to
block the shot. Five minutes later and Calaiò gets the ball, the covering
Foggia defender anticipates the move and gives away a corner. From the cleared
ball Foggia goes close to extending their lead when Cellini centres the ball
hard to the left of Gianello. In the 10th minute finally Naples gets the
equalising goal from Calaiò who takes advantage of the ball supplied by Bonomi
and heads the ball into the net ending a goaless period that started six months
ago against Chieti.


The crowd now comes to life and encourages the team to go for victory. In the
14th minute Pià flies past Galeotti, enters the box and wildly kicks at the
ball. The pressure from Naples is never ending. A ball from Abate passes across
the mouth of the goal but no one is there to take advantage. Foggia do not give
in easily and they go into the lead again. After an error by Bonomi, Nardini
crosses to the far post and finds Mounard who heads into the net. Morgia's team
could even have made the difference even greater, in the 33rd and 35th minutes,
but Callini and Nardini wasted the opportunities, thanks also to the
intervention of Gianello. Foggia paid dearly for their mistakes, when nobody
was expecting it Naples pulled themselves out of their lethargy and turned the
result round in extra time, thanks mainly to Pià. The Brazilian brought the
game to 2-2 in the 47th minute beating Marruocco who desperatly rushed out of
his goal but was beaten by a good turn on the ball.!
Then
in the 48th minute Pià offered the ball on a plate to Scarlato who controlled
it well to it away, driving the crowd delirious with delight and finally putting
the lights out for Foggia.

Roland Whittaker

NAPOLI: Gianello, Grava, Bonomi (33’ st Mora), Montervino, Scarlato,
Ignoffo, Abate, Consonni, Calaiò Corrent, Pià. A disp.: Renard, Terzi,
Accursi, Montesanto, Gatti, Esposito. All.: Reja

FOGGIA: Marruocco, Galeotti, D’Agostino (14’ st Filippi), Pagliarulo, Tomei,
Stefani, Cardini (45’ st Pascariello), Catalano, Cellini, Mounard, Grieco
(35’ st Cimarelli). A disp.: Efficie, Di Bari, Cirillo, Pollino. All.:
Morgia

ARBITRO: Velotto di Grosseto
RETI: 2’ pt Grieco (F), 10’ st Calaiò (N), 32’ st Mounard (F), 47’ st Pià
(N), 48’ st Scarlato (N)
NOTE: ammoniti Stefani, Corrent, Grava, Tomei, Galeotti. Calci d’angolo 8-3
per il Napoli. Recupero: pt 3’, st 4’. Spettatori 35mila circa.