Pontedera. The mistake makes salvation slip away. Now 8 points to manage in 5 games

Eight points to manage in the five games that remain to be played. This is in fact Pontedera's advantage over the fifth-last position, the one that condemns them to the play-offs and occupied by Lucchese (who will be the next guest at Mannucci) at 30 points. Then there would also be the parachute of the gap of 9 points of advantage over the second-last, a gap that would allow them to avoid the play-offs, but this is a calculation that is not the case to consider now. The fact is that with that error committed in the 38th minute of the second half of Saturday's match against Ascoli and which allowed the hitherto harmless guests to set the 1-1, the Granata took away the possibility of enjoying a salvation that at that point would have been virtual. Instead, Perretta and his teammates must postpone the appointment with remaining in Serie C and earn those 3-4 points that the experts still consider necessary. Even if the good thing is that with 5 games still ahead Pontedera has already earned the same points as the (bad) first half of the season: 19. "We are all disappointed about the missed victory - explained Leonardo Menichini after the match - and we should have managed to maintain the advantage, instead we conceded something. The performance was there, the numbers of the game are good, but it is clear that the opponents are also in front of us, it is not that you can always dominate the whole game". "In my opinion - continued the coach - given how the game went the boys deserved the victory and not having succeeded makes me feel more sorry for them, because I know how much they work, how much they suffer and how much they want to save Pontedera. So this leaves me calm, even if the standings say other things, namely that we still have to stay on top of things. I hope to come here in front of you as soon as possible to comment on something important".

During the first half, Menichini was also cautioned for complaining about an undetected foul on Lipari: "Sometimes I don't understand this sport, you can't even talk. I addressed the referee in the appropriate manner, I protested in a higher tone of voice, of course, but without offending anyone. The referees also need to understand that in this final part of the season we are playing for our skin and there can be one word too many, but when it doesn't border on insults... I didn't think I deserved the caution". When Italeng entered the field in the 26th minute of the second half, Menichini put an arm around the centre forward and said something in his ear: "I just told him that we needed his contribution. Italeng is a boy who has done and can still do a lot for Pontedera. In fact, he came in well, he fought, he ran, but what I told him is something I tell everyone, and when a player gives his all he has nothing to fear and no judgement".

Stefano Lemmi