CESENA – Inter Primavera built on their mid-week cup victory in the Coppa Italia semi-final with a comfortable away win over Giuseppe Angelini's Cesena.
Pedro Delgado was the star of the show on this occasion, bagging himself a hat-trick that brings the Nerazzurri to within one point of top spot.
Stefano Vecchi's boys approached the contest in Lizzano with the perfect mindset. After a cagey opening ten minutes, the game came to life in the 13th minute when Samuel Darko Appiah won a free-kick in a dangerous position. Delgado stepped up to take it and struck a perfect trajectory over the wall and inside the Cesena goalkeeper's left post.
The contest became more even towards the middle of the first half and both teams had to wait until the closing moments of the opening 45 for more danger. Neither Cesena nor Inter through Jose Correia could convert their chances and the teams went into the changing rooms with the score at 1-0.
Inter came out for the second half with the same determination as the first and had the match wrapped up within ten minutes, Delgado supplying the goods on both occasions. First he beat the Cesena keeper with his right in the 50th minute, then he was presented with a simple tap-in after a shot from Correia was parried into his path three minutes later.
With the three points in the bag, Inter settled into a rhythm and controlled the game without danger. Vecchi took advantage of the situation to hand a debut to Xian Emmers, with the Belgian youngster almost setting up Correia for Inter's fourth with just over a quarter of an hour to go.
Following on from Cagliari's slip-up and Chievo Verona's draw with AC Milan yesterday, this result lifts Inter into second place and only one point behind the leaders.
CESENA 0-3 INTER (HT: 0-1)
Scorer: Delgado (13, 50, 53).
CESENA: 1 Carroli; 2 Cavallari, 5 Gabrielli, 6 Mazzavillani; 7 Severini (16 Ballini, 56), 8 Dhamo, 4 Mandelli (18 Pregnolato, 49), 10 Maleh, 3 Fabbri (15, Pompei 70); 9 Raffini, 11 Ciarmela.
Subs not used: 12 Bianchini, 13 Martedì, 14 Ferrari, 17 Akammadu, 19 Rufini, 20 Soumahin.
Coach: Giuseppe Angelini.
INTER: 1 Radu; 2 Gyamfi, 5 Gravillon, 6 Popa, 3 Miangue; 4 Tchaoule, 8 Carraro (15 Vanheusden 86); 7 Appiah (17 Emmers, 69), 10 Delgado (19 Bakayoko, 80), 11 Kouame; 9 Correia.
Subs not used: 12 Pissardo, 13 Chiarion, 14 Sobacchi, 16 Bonetto, 18 De Micheli, 20 Baldini.
Coach: Stefano Vecchi.
Yellows cards: Fabbri 12, Dhamo 29, Deglado 60, Cavallari 90+1.
Injury time: 1+3 minutes.
Referee: Fabio Pasciuta (Agrigento).
Assistants: Pallalardo and Zambelli.
