Piemonte reach final hurdle

Piemonte Valle d'Aosta are one win away from the UEFA Regions' Cup final after a 3-0 victory against Ticino Amateur.

Montalto in form
Pacy forward Danilo Montalto was at the heart of the victory as he set up the first goal for Sergio Odino before doubling his side's lead with a second inside the first 30 minutes of the game. The Italian outfit will join Ligue du Maine Amateur in the final if they beat Württemberg Amateur in their final Group A game.

Power and aggression
Montalto demonstrated his power and aggression in the penalty area after just five minutes, as he squeezed through a challenge on the right-hand side of the Swiss side's penalty area before crossing for Odino to glance the ball past Alberto Bucci.

Second goal
Bucci made an excellent save to deny Lorenzo Parisi's shot ten minutes later, but there was little he could do to prevent Michele Del Vecchio's side from doubling their lead after 27 minutes, as Parisi's diagonal pass allowed Montalto to steer the ball across the goalkeeper and into the net.

Ticino revival
The half-time interval saw Ticino emerge stronger, as they kept possession well and managed to keep Piemonte on the back foot. Despite a number of tempting crosses, though, tall striker Denis Guerra never quite got the chance to stretch goalkeeper Antonio Maio to the full.

Sucker punch
Ticino were made to pay for their lack of cutting edge in attack as Piemonte broke away to score a third goal after 69 minutes. Odino sped down the wing to feed the ball across for Parisi, who drew the goalkeeper off his line before firing a low shot into the net.

Off the line
It was not to be Ticino's day as Michel Angelotti's strike was cleared off the line brilliantly by Odino, only a few minutes before Guerra blazed a shot wide from Tiziano Negri's through-ball. However, they were spared further anguish after Bucci spilled Paolo Borogna's angled shot only for substitute Marco Bergantin to miss the target with the loose ball.

No complaints
Ticino coach Fabrizio Vavassori admitted that his team had no complaints, saying: "On the field everything was fine. The Italians were the better side. It was a fantastic experience to play at a higher level than we are used to. We learned a lot from being here at the Regions' Cup. We would like to have won but the other teams are at a higher level than us."