Niko Kirwan (Calcio Potenza | Italy)

Padova double their lead around the 70min mark and Kirwan comes on straight after.
Apparently their opponents were on a 5-game winning streak, so not an easy game.
Vicenza won their game so if nothing changes, Padova will retain their 6 point lead.
Next week they have another tough match vs FeralpiSalò (3rd) at home, while Vicenza have Arzignano (13th)

A peach of a goal for Padova's 3rd goal. 3-0 and the points are in the bag

Potential tough game. Padova (1st) travel to FeralpiSalo (3rd)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/03/02/italy/serie-c1/feralpisalo/biancoscudati-padova/4427839/

0-0 at HT. Streaming on FIFA+.
Just got to the office, very quiet (Monday is a WFH day)...so I'll enjoy the 2nd half live! Bloody love this platform, I just wish I had more time to watch live football! 

Playing on the right side today and just hit the bar!

Full game for Niko in a very interesting clash. Both teams played well, you could tell it was 1st v 3rd, and each keeper made a couple of outstanding saves, including one by the FeralpiSalò GK with 5 minutes remaining and one in added time. Padova camped in the oppositon's half for the last 25 minutes of the second half and put lots of pressure on them. Unbelievably, Padova conceded with the last kick of the game, after a corner kick...real scenes in Saló (who also beat Vicenza this season).

But the real winner was Vicenza, who won their game and climbed to -3 from Padova with 9 games to go.

Padova (1st) host AlbinoLeffe (4th)

Some breathing room for Padova after last week's loss. They comfortably beat Albinoleffe 3-0 while Vicenza are held 2-2 by the  Atalanta reserves.
Padova +5 with 8 games remaining.
Full game Kirwan

Potentially trick game for Padova (1st) travelling to Renate (11th). Renate trying to make the bloated Serie C playoffs.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/03/13/italy/serie-c1/ac-renate/biancoscudati-padova/4427859/

Bugger. Padova (1st) lose 3-2. Kirwan off the pine at 61 mins (Padova down 2-1).

Vicenza (2nd) got an 80th min goal to win their match 1-0, and close within 2 pts.

7 rounds left. For Padova 3H & 4A. 
It's gonna be a tense finish to the season.

Padova (1st) host Pizzighettone (13th).

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/03/17/italy/serie-c1/biancoscudati-padova/as-pizzighettone/4427869/

Good news. Padova win at the death (94min!) and Vicenza could only draw, so the gap is back is extended to 4 points.
Full game and a yellow card for Niko

Padova (1st) travel to Novara (11th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/03/23/italy/serie-c1/novara-calcio/biancoscudati-padova/4427878/

Is it crazy to mention? It could have been mentioned already, but we could have a Kiwi derby and match up on the same side. If Padov gets promoted to Serie B and Empoli gets relegated, we could see Niko and Libby match up. I know it's unlikely, but just a thought.

Bad news, Padova lose 2-1 (Niko subbed off at 58min (2-0) and Vicenza are currently bossing Caldiero Terme (19th out of 20) 2-0 after 60min so it's very likely they'll take home the full three points.
This means it's very much squeaky bum time for Padova who in that case would remain top of the table by a single point with 5 games remaining.
Next up Padova vs Atalanta U23 (9th)
Vicenza v Pro Vercelli (16th, also a former Serie A Champion from way back).

Looking to the remaining 4 games
Padova will play 13th, 17th, 20th, 15th
Vicenza will play 20th, 8th, 17th, 5th

Only the league winner will qualify directly to Serie B.
Timely reminder that Serie C is live on FIFA+

Watched the highlights. Niko with some responsibility for Novara's first goal. Novara also hit the bar with a great strike but Padova had a chance to equalise in the 72nd minute, but missed their penalty.

Padova (1st) travel to Atalanta II (9th)

Absolute travesty for Padova. They allow their opponents to equalise in the 89th min and can't do better than a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, Vicenza beat Pro Vercelli and for the first time this season they find themselves leading the pack. Vicenza on 77 points, Padova on 76!

For the remaning games they woll play (Home = H / Away = A):
Padova v Lecco H (15th)
Padova v Triestina A (17th)
Padova v Union Clodiense H (20th)
Padova v Lumezzane A (14th)

Vicenza will verse:
Union Clodiense H (20th)
Virtus Verona A (8th)
Triestina (17th)
Trento H (5th)

Plenty to play for still. Net of both teams playing 17th and 20th, Padova have the easier calendar but they need to win all of them and hope Vicenza stumble

Almost must win for Padova (2nd) hosting Lecco (13th).

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/04/07/italy/serie-c1/biancoscudati-padova/calcio-lecco-1912/4427896/

They don't actually play until Tueaday NZT (should be live on FIFA+) and will know Vicenza's result.
Their promotion opponents are playing bottom of the league Union Clodiense (who are actually the latest incarnation of the old Chievo Verona, a team that did very well in the 2000s), so Vicenza should take them to the cleaners. Luckily Padova play them too before the end of the season. 

Unsurprisingly, Vicenza won their game (only 2-1, mind) but this means Padova are now 4 points behind  automatic promotion, and must win tonight in order to keep the deficit to a single point

Padova do the job, just!
Niko off at at 59 (2-0) in a 2-1 win vs Lecco. The gap is -1 again.
Next week, Vicenza have an away derby game at Virtus Verona (8th) while Padova are away at Triestina (16th)

Thankfully Padova win 2-1
Kirwan off at 59 mins (2-0)

She’s going to be a very tight promotion race these next few weeks 

Edit - NZP beats me to it

Padova (2nd) travel to Triestina (16th). Vicenza with the on paper tougher game away to Verona.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/04/13/italy/serie-c1/us-triestina-calcio/biancoscudati-padova/4427910/

Edit - Kirwan on the pine. He (20 starts this season), consistently rotates running on with a team mate Capelli (17 starts). It's Capelli for this game.

Sometimes football is just such an entertaining sport. Padova do the business and get the 3 points. 1-0 with Niko riding the pine. Not an easy win away in Trieste.
In the meantime, Vicenza lose the derby vs Verona thanks to a...97th minute goal! You can't make this stuff up.
So now Padova are back on top with a 2 point buffer. Unbelievable.
Two games remaining, 

Padova v Union Clodiense (home) (20th and last, but only going down by a goal vs Vicenza last week)

Vicenza vs Triestina (away, 17th and the team Padova just narrowly beat)

Then in the last game of the season
Padova v Lumezzane (away, 14th)
Vicenza v Trento (away, 7th).

It's going to come down to the wire, but Padova have picked themselves up rather nicely.

Niche Cache sums it up. Lets go Niko.

However, the important thing is that Padova won. They’d been undefeated up until early March when suddenly they lost three out of five. Only one team per conference gets automatic promotion from Serie A... and long-time readers will recall Kirwan having some nastily close calls in the playoffs (as well as one season with Reggiana where he succeeded in the promotion playoffs). That wonky of form put Padova into serious trouble as Vicenza leapt ahead of them.

But Vicenza lost 2-1 to Vitus Verona on Monday morning thanks to a 90+6th minute concession and with that Padova are two points clear with two games remaining. They’ve got Union Clodiense (last place) on Saturday then Lumezzane (14th) the following week. Win both and the job is complete. Let’s go, Niko.  

Padova (1st) host Union Clodiense (last). Surely, surely Padova win.

Clodiense 6 pts off the relegation playoff spots, with 2 games left. So a draw is no good to them, they have to try and go for the win at the league leaders.

Meanwhile Vicenza (2nd, 2 pts behind Padova) host Triestina (17th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/04/18/italy/serie-c1/biancoscudati-padova/asd-clodiense/4427921/

Both teams up 1-0 at HT

Niko rides the pine as Padova do it again, just. 2-1 win and a missed pen at 83min to put the game beyond doubt. 
Vicenza with a big win at Triestina (1-0), so Padova are 2 points up with a single game remaining, away at Lumezzane (14th and with nothing left to play for).

Vicenza close off the season at Trento (9th and already in the playoffs).
If Padova win, they go directly to Serie B, pretty easy equation. I need to check if what happens if they draw and Vicenza win.
If Padova lose and Vicenza win, Padova will need to go to the play offs.

Last round, and simultaneous kickoffs. Padova (1st, 85 pts, GD +41) travel to Lumezzane (14th)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2025/04/25/italy/serie-c1/ac-lumezzane/biancoscudati-padova/4427930/

Vicenza (2nd, 83 pts, GD +37) travel to Trento (9th and already in the playoffs).

Padova in the box seat for 1st spot and automatic Serie B promotion. A draw probably enough for them to clinch it.

Really exciting that Nico could be playing in Serie B next season.
Kiwis are playing in such a wide range of decent leagues around the world now.
And it's easy to follow their progress with the internet.
When I was at varsity in the 1980's Wynton and Shane Rufer were the only Kiwis playing overseas at any decent level that I can remember.
The only way of finding the latest news on Wynton's progress at FC Zurich was listening to the weekday mid day sports news on RNZ National who had really good football reports.
Ahhh.....the days when our ties to England were still so close that Sunday mornings on RNZ National they used to broadcast EVERY SINGLE RESULT from all four English leagues - which was a lot of games.
Something very soothing about it, hearing all those very English club names.
Live broadcast of a big match from the top division every Sunday morning too on RNZ National.   

Padova's history.
They were last in Serie A in 1999.
Last in Serie B as recently as 2008-09 season:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcio_Padova
Kurt Hamrin, the Swedish international, was their greatest player (1954 World Cup final; about 200 goals in Serie A)
Based in the ancient city of Padua (dates to about 1000 BC), 40 km from Venice.

"Padova's golden days were the late 1950s, when the team managed by Nereo Rocco, reached the heights of third place in 1958 thanks to the wing wizardry of Kurt Hamrin. Forwards Sergio Brighenti and Aurelio Milani would star as Padova remained a force in Serie A, before relegation in 1962. The rest of the 1960s would see the club in Serie B before going into a serious decline ahead of a 1980s revival.

The revival would see Padova return to Serie B in the early 1980s, and within a decade they would be serious promotion contenders. A play-off win over Cesena in 1994 saw the club return to Serie A after 32 years. After a dire start to the 1994–95 season, Padova looked like fulfilling most experts' predictions of a swift return to Serie B. They nonetheless found their form in the second half of the year and when they recorded a 1–0 win away to Juventus, they were six points clear of the drop zone. However, they eventually ended up contesting the relegation play-off against Genoa, due to a late Inter Milan goal assisted by a Rubén Sosa corner, which they won on penalties.

There would be no such luck the following year, as Padova were relegated, with further relegations in 1998 and 1999. Since 2001, they have resided in Serie C1 and Lega Pro Prima Divisione. The team returned in Serie B at the end of the 2008–2009 season.

Game's on FIFA+. Hoping for highlights or the full game to be online by the time I get up, so I watch and hopefully see them make history. I remember Padova in Serie A back in the 90s.
Alexis Lalas was the first American to play in the top tier and played for them...
Sadly I don't think Nico will start as the coach has stated they found some stability over the last 2 or 3 games and he doesn't want to change things too much. Hopefully he comes on at some point though.
2.800 fans are making the trip, with many more watching on a maxi screen in one if the city's park. Let's hope it's a wonderful party!
Forza Padova e daje Nico!

newzealandpower

Game's on FIFA+. Hoping for highlights or the full game to be online by the time I get up, so I watch and hopefully see them make history. I remember Padova in Serie A back in the 90s.
Alexis Lalas was the first American to play in the top tier and played for them...
Sadly I don't think Nico will start as the coach has stated they found some stability over the last 2 or 3 games and he doesn't want to change things too much. Hopefully he comes on at some point though.
2.800 fans are making the trip, with many more watching on a maxi screen in one if the city's park. Let's hope it's a wonderful party!
Forza Padova e daje Nico!

(C)alcio Padova!

Comes on at 82min as Paadova draw 0-0 but Vicenza implode away at Trento (3-1 loss) so PADOVA ARE SERIE C CHAMPIONS AND ARE AUTOMATICALLY PROMOTED TO SERIE B.

A second promotion for Niko (no small feat). Great season for Padova who have were running away with it for long stretches, though they've made it a bit harder for themselves in recent times. 86 points, a very good haul though.
Niko has been playing on the right a whole lot...if he plays in Serie B, he'd put his hand up to challenge Payne and Roux surely.

Hopefully but looks like it is the last year of his contract, so needs to be signed for next year. 

Yeah agreed he went to getting regular starts and captain to the last few games being unused sub (other then todays token appearance) not sure if there was an injury or just dropped down pecking order, but I’m a huge fan so hope he gets another deal and bosses it in serie b and gets a AW recall 

From what I understand, he (and others) had a pretty bad game when things weren't looking good for Padova and there seemed to be a real chance of them bottling it.
So he was relegated to the bench, as it happens, and Padova returned to winning ways in the last few games of the season so he had to feed off the scraps for there on.
The fact that he was still being subbed on speaks volumes in terms of what the coach thinks of him.
Young, ambitious coach by the way. Matteo Andreoletti, only 36 yo and succeeded where others (with a bigger budget) failed at the playoff final stage (twice in a ROW IIRC).
There is already been speculation that he might be off...and Niko of course is off contract and turning 30 at the start of next season.
Lots to ponder, but first let's leave them to enjoy this great achievement and a well deserved holiday first.

An unlikely chain of events, but if Hall and or Pijnaker left Auckland for Europe, and aging Sakai was moved permanently sideways to be a CB, Kirwan would be a good solid RB pickup for AFC. Even with Elliot there he'd likely still get good mins. 

Sir John would love him home, playing for an Auckland team.

But well done Padova. Been a few seasons of nearly men heartbreak, so I'm sure they are enjoying this week of Serie B promotion joy.