Italian Serie A: Genoa 1-1 Livorno
Boakye 51 (G), Tavano 87 (L)
Stadio Ferraris
Francesco Tavano was slapped by hooligans this week, but scored the goal that leaves Livorno some slender hope of avoiding relegation. The real star of the show was 17-year-old Richmond Boakye, who scored on a sensational Serie A debut.
It has been a hellish few days for Livorno, as hooligans stormed the training ground, slashed players’ tyres and even slapped Francesco Tavano across the face. Propping up the table and travelling to a side with one of the best home records in Serie A was a daunting prospect.
Genoa were without Dario Dainelli, Houssine Kharja, Bosko Jankovic, Robert Acquafresca and the suspended Giuseppe Sculli. Livorno left behind Leonardo Miglionico, Romano Perticone and Filippini.
Rodrigo Palacio fired off target from a David Suazo assist, but the Honduran picked up a muscular injury in that move and limped off for 17-year-old youth team player Richmond Boakye.
Nelson Rivas drilled a free kick wide, but the only real chance of the first half fell to Ghanaian Boakye. His right-foot curler skimmed the frame of the goal after 44 minutes of football.
Teenager Ricky Boakye broke the deadlock at the dawn of the second half. He chested down a Giandomenico Cross cross and prodded it right-footed past the goalkeeper from six yards to mark a sensational Serie A debut.
Boakye was a constant danger and his pace gave Dario Knezevic all sorts of problems. Francesco Tavano tried to score directly from the corner flag, forcing a tough save out of Marco Amelia.
Alberto Zapater drilled just wide and Boakye failed to get on the end of a poor backpass before Rubinho.
Livorno hung in there and equalised in the final minutes with Tavano, who refused to celebrate after his traumatic week. The Diniz cross was knocked down by Tomas Danilevicius for Tavano to bundle over the line from close range.