Francesco Pio Esposito fired Spezia to within touching distance of the Serie B promotion play-off final but the young striker was quick to urge caution ahead of Sunday’s second leg against Catanzaro.

Esposito’s stunning free-kick sealed a 2-0 win for his side in Calabria after Giuseppe Di Serio broke the deadlock early in the second half.

Having finished third in the table across the regular season they were handed a bye to the play-off semis and home advantage in the second leg, where Esposito is hoping to finish the job and set up a showdown with Cremonese or Juve Stabia.

The 19-year-old Italian said: “We played a perfect match (at Catanzaro). In the first half we were the only ones attacking, and then in the second half we scored twice right away, on their home turf, which is one of the toughest venues in the league.”

It was a second victory there for Spezia, having won 1-0 in December. Catanzaro gained revenge for that one, winning 1-0 in Liguria in February, although the gap between the sides after a 38-game campaign was 13 points.

Esposito, who is on loan from Inter Milan, added: “It’s not over yet because in matches like these, the regular-season standings don’t mean anything. Every play-off game is a story of its own, so we need to stay fully focused and approach the return leg the same way we did the first.

“We’ve got a battle waiting for us at the Picco, and we want to go out there and earn the spot in the final that we deserve.

“I also want to thank the fans who travelled 13 hours by bus to be with us in Catanzaro. We’ll see them again at home.”

Spezia manager Luca D’Angelo called for more of the same from his players and had words of praise for Esposito.

He said: “We’ll need to bring the same mindset and intensity to the second leg. Pio Esposito is an outstanding player, and I’m extremely happy to coach him. He has great talent and the right mentality, and that’s what’s allowing him to achieve big things.”

Catanzaro boss Fabio Caserta admitted the odds are stacked against his side when they travel north. Wednesday’s loss was their first in five games, a run that included a win at champions Sassuolo.

But Caserta said: “It will be almost impossible but in football, anything can happen. We know it will be difficult.

“The boys must believe and we will go to La Spezia to play our game. There are still 90 minutes and we must be aware that, in any case, this team has had a great championship.”

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