Sunday, February 6, 2005
Atalanta 1-0 Livorno: FT Report
PA
BERGAMO, February 6 (Serie A) - Atalanta saw off Livorno to
claim only their second win of the season but they remain
in desperate straights at the foot of the table.
Veteran defender Luigi Sala scored the only goal at the
Stadio Atleti d'Azzurri after 23 minutes to end on a positive
note what has been a traumatic week for the Bergamo club
whose president Ivan Ruggeri will formally resign at a board
meeting on Monday.
Livorno tried their best to get back on terms but this
result means Roberto Donadoni's side are now being sucked
into the relegation quagmire themselves.
The visitors from Leghorn started the game well and after
seven minutes they almost took the lead when Cristiano Lucarelli
shot from the edge of the box only to watch his effort sail
over the bar.
However, Atalanta showed that they are made of sterner
stuff since Delio Rossi succeeded the sacked Andrea Mandorlini.
After 17 minutes they had the ball in the Livorno goal
when Stephen Makinwa's backheel found the net but no-one
disputed referee Nicola Rizzoli's decision to chalk it off.
It was Makinwa who created the goal that would eventually
decide the match - and a large slice of good luck finally
blessed an Atalanta team that has found it in short supply
this season.
Makinwa tried to score himself but sliced his shot, however
the ball nonetheless found the net via former AC Milan player
Sala's head although the Atalanta player knew little about
it.
Atalanta could have doubled their lead a minute before
the break when Makinwa created another opportunity for himself
but he shot wide after being given a chance following a
mistake by Livorno goalkeeper Gianmatteo Mareggini.
In the second half Atalanta continued to make the running.
After 51 minutes Marco Motta fired a shot across the face
of goal but no-one could get a touch on it.
But after 62 minutes Livorno thought they had equalised
when Corrado Colombo found the net only for an offside flag
to curtail the celebrations of the man whose goal helped
Livorno beat Serie A champions AC Milan last month.
In stoppage-time Livorno came agonisingly close to snatching
a point in their survival quest.
Lucarelli won the ball in the air with a typically robust
challenge and Corrado latched onto the ball but watched
his shot sail over the Atalanta crossbar.
However, few could begrudge the Atalanta fans only their
second victory of the season - both have come since Rossi
replaced Mandorlini.
However, even Rossi's notable survival skills - he kept
Lecce in Serie A on his previous assignment - will be hard
pressed to dig his team out of the hole they are in - they
are still nine points from safety.
Any euphoria at victory will be shortlived as Ruggeri's
resignation on Monday will leave the club without the charismatic
man who has given it a prominence its stature has not always
deserved.
The prospective new owner - Sicilian Giacomo Randazzo -
is an unknown quantity.
Livorno's 13th position looks fairly enviable but Donadoni
knows his team are only six points clear of the relegation
zone and will consider this three points dropped.
The Leghorn club are playing in Serie A for the first time
since 1949-50 and all season long their only objective has
been to stay in the division.
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