Audace Cerignola produced one of their most complete performances of the Serie C season on Sunday night, dismantling FC Savoia 1908 4-0 at the Stadio Domenico Monterisi. A blistering first-half display put the hosts in total control, and a composed second half turned the contest into a statement victory in front of their home support.

The result gives Cerignola another important three points in the Serie C Girone C standings and reinforces their reputation as one of the division’s most difficult teams to contain on home turf. For Savoia, the evening became a long defensive exercise, with the visitors unable to stem the flow of chances once the home side found their rhythm.

Match overview

Cerignola set the tone from the opening whistle. The hosts pressed high, moved the ball quickly through midfield and pinned Savoia deep inside their own half. The breakthrough arrived in the 12th minute when Simone Castaldi latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the box and guided a low finish into the bottom corner.

The lead doubled on 27 minutes. A sharp turnover in midfield released Gianluca Ferrara down the right, and his cut-back was converted by Alessandro Rizzo from close range. Savoia’s back five struggled to cope with the movement of Cerignola’s front three, and the third goal arrived just before the break when Castaldi added his second with a header from a corner.

Any hope of a Savoia comeback was extinguished 12 minutes into the second half. Substitute Davide Mancino, on for the injured Rizzo, raced clear and finished calmly for 4-0. From there, Cerignola managed the game intelligently, keeping possession and denying the visitors any meaningful route back.

Key moments

• 12' – 1-0 Cerignola: Simone Castaldi opens the scoring with a low strike from the edge of the area.
• 27' – 2-0 Cerignola: Alessandro Rizzo converts Gianluca Ferrara’s cut-back after a high turnover.
• 41' – 3-0 Cerignola: Castaldi heads home a corner to put the hosts firmly in command.
• 57' – 4-0 Cerignola: Substitute Davide Mancino finishes a counter-attack with a composed one-on-one.
• 73' – Savoia’s best chance: A rare break ends with a low shot saved by Cerignola goalkeeper Lorenzo Bianchi.

Tactical story

Cerignola’s 4-3-3 was built on aggressive pressing and quick circulation. The midfield trio squeezed Savoia’s deep-lying playmaker, forcing long balls that the home defence comfortably reclaimed. With Ferrara and Matteo Grieco stretching the pitch on the flanks, Cerignola repeatedly created overloads against Savoia’s wing-backs.

Savoia’s 5-3-2 was designed to absorb pressure and hit on the break, but the visitors were never able to sustain possession long enough to relieve the pressure. Their best spell came early in the second half, yet by then the game was already beyond reach. Cerignola’s ability to win second balls in midfield was the foundation of the performance.

Standout players

Simone Castaldi was the obvious headline-maker with two goals, but his all-round link play was equally important. He dropped into pockets, combined with the wingers and gave Savoia’s centre-backs a constant problem. Gianluca Ferrara was a persistent threat on the right, registering an assist and forcing two saves, while Lorenzo Bianchi stayed alert to keep a clean sheet.

Season impact and what’s next

The win strengthens Cerignola’s position in the upper half of the Serie C table and keeps their home form among the best in the division. With promotion playoff ambitions, victories of this kind — dominant, controlled and defensively secure — are exactly the results that build momentum across a long campaign.

Savoia leave with plenty to work on. The visitors remain in search of consistency and will need a much more resilient defensive display in their next outing. For Cerignola, the challenge now is to reproduce this level on the road and turn a strong start into a genuine promotion push.