Morr-one nils please

Dag Jenkins
Apr 1, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Apr 8

Season 1961-62

Game 29, Serie B

Sunday, April 1, 1962

Stadio Flaminio, Rome

Lazio-Reggiana 1-0

A solitary goal by the Gaucho is enough to clinch two important promotion points

This season the manager was initially Paolo Todeschini. He had played for Lazio in 1948-49 and had recently coached Milan (with Giuseppe Viani as T.D). After the 21st fixture however Bob Lovati had taken over but from today the new manager was Carlo Facchini. Todeschini had left Lazio in 4th place (W7, D10, L4) while Lovati had dropped a position to 5th (W1, in D3, L3). Third manager lucky for the final promotion rush?

On March 4 however there had been an extremely controversial episode in a home game against promotion rivals Napoli. Lazio were 4th on 27 points and Napoli 5th on 26, so it was an important game. In the 76th minute Gianni Seghedoni took a free kick for Lazio and scored with the referee pointing to midfield. Lazio celebrated wildly and Pontel, the Napoli keeper, looked gutted but had no complaints. Then the unexpected happened, the linesman claimed the ball had not gone in as a ball boy had picked it up outside the goal and convinced the referee to disallow it. The ball had obviously gone in and then out again through a hole in the net. The Lazio players found the hole but the referee was not interested. The TV images would later show the goal was perfectly valid but it was too late. Lazio could only hope they would not live to miss that potential point.

Reggiana were currently joint 15th, with Alessandria on 25 points (only two above 18th placed Bari who also had a 6-point docking). The Granata had won 7 (including Napoli 2-1 at home), drawn 11 (including Lazio 0-0) and lost 10 (including last 2). La Regia's last win was on February 4 away at Cosenza 1-0.

A game between two sides in difficulty today but with different objectives. Promotion for Lazio and at this point survival for Reggiana. Lazio had been on the coast in Ostia in pre-match retreat to find the right concentration for this game.

The match

A nice day in Rome with about 20,000 in attendance at the Flaminio.

Lazio's new manager chose defender Gilberto Noletti and forward Angelo Longoni over Guglielmo Mecozzi and Claudio Bizzarri but had no real absences.

Reggiana played Claudio Correnti rather than Paolo Morosi in midfield while up front Addis Savoldi was preferred to Mario Tribuzio.

The first chance was for the visitors as in the 2nd minute the Lazio goalkeeper was forced to save an Aldo Catalani effort with his feet.

In the 12th minute defender Piero Ferri interrupted a Graziano Landoni-Juan Carlos Morrone one-two with a hand in the area but it was judged involuntary.

In the 18th minute Lazio went in front. A prolonged move ended with a shot by Vincenzo Gasperi which was cleared weakly and badly by Giampiero Grevi and the ball reached Morrone who had the relatively easy task of beating Giovanni Ferretti, 1-0. It was unclear what the defender had been trying to do, clear or make a pass to a teammate. He did neither.

Lazio then wasted an opportunity to double their lead with Dimitri Pinti and the only other excitement was a Noletti clearance which resolved a threatening scramble in the Lazio area. Halftime score: Lazio 1 Reggiana 0.

Not a particularly spectacular game so far but Lazio with the all-important goal.

In the second half Ferri moved further forward and the Emiliani started to boss the game.

In the 46th and 64th minutes Idilio Cei had to save on Ricciotti Greatti, the second more difficult.

Lazio occasionally had space on the counterattack but on the most dangerous Ferretti did well to burst off his line and dive low to deny Morrone.

Then it was Greatti again who forced Cei to show off his skills.

In the last twenty minutes not much happened apart from a penalty appeal by the visitors for Savoldi being held back in the area but for the referee there was not enough in it. Final score: Lazio 1 Reggiana 0.

Two important points for the Biancocelesti but not a great performance. They had found the goal thanks to a possible defensive misunderstanding, then did the minimum necessary to win and could also thank goalkeeper Cei's good form. A useful two points but Lazio would have to improve to be sure of going up.

Reggiana had played well but were too cautious in their first half approach. They were better in the second but could not find the equaliser they possibly deserved.

Lazio were now 4th, on 31 points with Brescia and Modena. Third placed Napoli were one point above.

Reggiana were 16th, on 25 points with Novara and still two points from the drop zone which nevertheless now was made up of three teams all on 23 points, Bari, Como and Cosenza. The situation was worsening.

Who played for Lazio

Cei, Zanetti, Eufemi, Noletti, Seghedoni, Gasperi, Longoni, Landoni, Pinti, Morrone, Maraschi