Fiorentina Women ran out 3-1 winners over San Marino Academy in a hard-fought game at the Stadio Bozzi on Sunday afternoon.

There was a scrappy start to the match, with the first chance of the game only arriving on the half-hour mark.

But the clash exploded into life after the break, with first San Marino and then Fiorentina hitting the crossbar in the first five minutes of the second half.

The Viola eventually took the lead on 68 minutes, when Tessel Middag reacted quickest in the box to dispatch a loose ball into the far corner for 1-0.

Yet San Marino hauled themselves level five minutes later when Raffaella Barbieri was fouled in the box, winning a penalty for her side. Barbieri herself stepped up for the spot-kick, which she duly converted for 1-1.

The minutes ticked away, but Fiorentina’s determination to restore their advantage eventually paid off when Sara Baldi picked up the ball on the edge of the San Marino box, working a yard of space on her left before firing past the helpless goalkeeper for 2-1.

Daniela Sabatino then completed the scoring in the fourth minute of added time with a right-footed shot which took a deflection off a San Marino defender and looped up over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Fiorentina 3-1 San Marino (HT: 0-0)
Scorers: Middag 68, Barbieri pen. 74, Baldi 86, Sabatino 90+4.

ACF FIORENTINA: Ohrstrom (C), Quinn, Adami, Cordia (62' Zanoli), Thogersen, Middag, Vigilucci, Baldi, Monnecchi (62' Kim), Clelland (46' Tortelli), Sabatino.
Subs not used: Tinti, Schroffenegger, Kim, Pastifieri, Santini, Innocenti, Zanoli, Mani.
Coach: Nicola Melani (assistant).

SAN MARINO ACADEMY: Salvi, Nozzi, Micciarelli, Baldini (89' Pirini), Menin (C), Rigaglia, Venturini, Costantini (88' Babnik), Chandarana (63' Vecchione), Kunisawa, Barbieri (81' Di Luzio).
Subs not used: Bonora, Cecchini, Giuliani.
Coach: Alain Conte.