Morrone Strike Earns Vital Victory in Survival Battle

Simon Basten
Apr 30, 2024
3 min read

Season 1966-67

Game 30, Serie A

Sunday, April 30, 1967

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Lazio Mantova 1-0

Lazio Edge Stubborn Mantova at the Olimpico to Climb Level with Brescia and Spal in Tight Relegation Race

In Serie A, the Biancocelesti had been even more disappointing than the previous year. They were currently 13th in the company of Spal and Vicenza, fourth from last and in the relegation zone (four would go down to Serie B due to the decision to reduce the Serie A teams to 16 following the 1966 World Cup debacle against North Korea) and had a long way to go to get out of the troubled waters. Manager Umberto Mannocci had been sacked in November and replaced by Maino Neri.

A must win today.

The match

After earning two away draws in Vicenza and Milan, Lazio returned to Rome to continue their march toward safety. At the Olimpico arrived a Mantova side already virtually safe, a very compact team that had drawn no fewer than 19 of their 29 matches played.

The Biancocelesti started at full throttle and in the opening thirteen minutes produced four attempts on goal through Paolo Carosi, Romano Bagatti, and Giancarlo Morrone. In response, the Virgilians ventured forward toward Idilio Cei’s goal, with Torbjorn Jonsson shooting just wide.

The match was played at a relentless pace. Vito D’Amato produced a fine chip over Dino Zoff as he came off his line, but just as the ball was about to cross the goal line, Biagio Catalano rescued the situation at the last moment with an overhead clearance.

Then the visitors came close to taking the lead: Jonsson stole the ball from Pietro Adorni and squared it for Beniamino Di Giacomo, who unleashed a thunderous strike that skimmed the top of the crossbar.

D’Amato again came into prominence in the 22nd and 25th minutes with two lively moves, though neither produced a tangible result. In the 36th minute Giovanni Masiello made a superb recovery tackle to halt Jonsson just as he was about to shoot from close range.

Five minutes later, a magnificent move by Morrone set up Bagatti for a close-range finish. The winger, however, blasted the simplest of chances over the bar, to general despair.

In the second half the two teams battled on a knife-edge of balance, but in the 58th minute the deadlock was finally broken. A corner was recovered on the flank by Masiello, who volleyed the ball back low into the centre for Morrone. From just a few metres out, he smashed a fierce rising shot past Zoff, who had no chance.

The Romans then dropped deeper, relying on counterattacks. In the 66th minute Pierluigi Pagni threw himself in the way of a powerful strike from the ever-dangerous Di Giacomo. Later, Enrico Burlando nearly doubled the lead at the end of a swift counterattack.

Mantova did not give up and continued to push for an equaliser. With only seconds remaining, Piero Scesa advanced and delivered a precise cross for Alberto Spelta, whose volley struck the outside of Cei’s net. The optical illusion momentarily froze the Biancocelesti supporters, who only after a few seconds burst into celebration and relief for the narrow escape and the precious two points secured.

In the relegation battle, with Lecco already down but defeating Brescia, Vicenza’s away win at Venezia — now almost doomed — was also noteworthy. With these two points, Lazio moved up to 25 alongside Brescia and S.P.A.L., while Vicenza sat fourth from bottom on 24 points and Foggia trailed on 20.

Who played for Lazio

Cei, Masiello, Adorni, Carosi, Pagni, Castelletti, D'Amato, Burlando, Morrone, Marchesi, Bagatti