 30-01-07, 06:51 PM | #93 (permalink) |
| Used In Squad Rotation Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 366 Thanks: 74 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0 | 
Authors Note: I've decided to cut down the post match comments as it's getting boring to be repeative etc. I only use them for big matches and when some interesting things happen etc. (controversial decisions) That way we have more games.  Torino - Chievo 4th of March 2007 Stadio Olimpico, Turin Italian Serie A 2006/2007 - Week 27     17'  Elvis Abbruscato, 90+3' Cedric Konan - 37' Simone Tiribocchi
Cedric Konan netted a dramatic winner for Torino in a thrilling 2:1 victory over Chievo Verona on Sunday afternoon.
Stefano Fiore was fit enough to return on bench for Torino for a game againist Chievo Verona who were surprising the pundits with quite high 6th position in the league and it wasn't obviously going to be an easy game for Torino. Luis Figo and Andre Zuba continued their injuries, eventhough the first is set to return next week aswell.
Chievo got the first chance, but Victor Obinna's powerful effort from the edge of the area didn't hit the target.
Dozen minutes later after some passive play two the match opened up with a goal. After a scramble on the Torino side of midfield the ball fell to Alessandro Rosina who made an amazing low pass to Elvis Abbruscato who avoided offside to go one on one.
Goalkeeper Vicenco Sicignano didn't see that coming and he was already out of the goal so he had to close down Abbruscato out of the box, making it very easy for the league top scorer to net another one of his goals as he rounded Sicignano.
 Abbruscato couldn't be without a goal in this match either
Michele Marcolini had a run down the wing, but his cross was headed over by a sprinting Obinna.
Stellone had a nice chance to double Torino's lead. The ball bounced off a Chievo defender to the path of Stellone, but since the ball was a bit behind his back his attempted lob over Sicignano was too soft and the former international managed to catch the ball before it flew into the net.
Chievo soon after almost cost for another defence blunder. Petri Pasanen failed to connect with a back-pass and Abbruscato was through again, though with goalkeeper more ready and defenders pressurising he shot the ball straight at the man with gloves.
Torino was starting to put big pressure on their opponents and Alessandro Rosina saw his powerful free-kick to get tiped out of the top corner by Sicignano.
Rosina has been in hot form in last games and he was again involved as his free-kick found Abbruscato standing at near post. Though it still didn't go in - Nigerian striker Obinna manged to make up for his earlier misses by making an incredible heading save on line at Abbruscato.
Chievo started to recover and Obinna saw his soft central header pushed away by Lupatelli, but they got the equalizer.
Michele Marcioni sent a low corner in which no-one tried to intercept eventhough it should've been easy. Neither did Torino defenders remember to mark Simone Tiribocchi at far post as the striker sent in a cool low finish at far post.
Though that equalizer was the only big attempt in the remaining of the first half and Stefano Fiore came in to boost Torino's luck over the second half.
Sicignano started off second half the way he ended the first, he made another save. He managed to react great to an Abbruscato header from the edge of the 6-yard box.
Michele Marcolini was having a great evening, but his assist was again wasted as Tiribocchi shot wide and over, eventhough it was very hard to score from a tough angle he should've atleast gotten close to the goal.
After some very boring minutes Tanel Tursk made quite a traditional sub of replacing Roberto Stellone with Cedric Konan.
Marcolini then tried to shoot himself, but his shot wasn't good from 10 meters as defenders did just enough to interupt him.
Abbruscato was heavily involved in everything and earned a MoM eventhough his shot from 10 meters was amazingly tiped wide by Sicignano who was strongly contending his award though.
Torino really thought that their amazing winning run of five games was coming to an end, but there was just one more chance to come.
Nikola Lazetic got the ball from Giuseppe Pancaro on the wing as he sidesteped Chievo full-back Mantovani to cross in to Cedric Konan header in the near post which flew past the badly positioned Sicignano.
 Konan proved to be a great substitution once again
The Ivorian hasn't enjoyed too much scoring this season, but when he has given the chance of joining the game he has always done something to it with his pace like he did againist Chievo with just less than 20 minutes.
It was Torinos 6th consecutive win and 12th unbeatten league game in a row and Champions League is not only a dream anymore, it's a must. With Roma and Sampdoria having draws the gap with third raised to eight points already.
Torino: 1-Cristiano Lupatelli; 3-Gianluca Comotto, 2-Raffaele Schiavi, 25-Marco Di Loreto, 16-Giuseppe Pancaro; 17-Nikola Lazetic, 8-Simone Barone, 22-Iacopo Balestri (45' 7-Stefano Fiore)); 10-Alessandro Rosina; 19-Elvis Abbruscato , 11-Roberto Stellone (74' 24-Cedric Konan )
Cautioned  : None
Other Results
Roma 2-2 Sampdoria
Atalanta 0-0 Ascoli
Cagliari 3-2 Catania
Fiorentina 2-1 Lazio
Inter 1-0 Livorno
Parma 1-1 Messina
Reggina 0-2 Milan
Udinese 3-1 Empoli
Palermo 2-0 Siena
Torino Position: 2nd |
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