Game 23, Serie B
Sunday, February 18, 1962
Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Lazio Modena 1-0
The Biancocelesti beat Modena and move closer to the promotion zone
Lazio finished the first half of the season in third place, just one point behind second place Modena.
In the first three games of the second half of the season, Lazio had only earned two points and were now fourth with Pro Patria, three points behind second placed Verona and Modena. Leaders Genoa were nine points away.
Paolo Todeschini had been sacked and momentarily replaced by Bob Lovati with Alfonso Ricciardi as technical director.
Victory today would be fundamental.
The match
A must win today for Lazio if they wanted to fight for promotion. But after just two minutes Dimitri Pinti got injured and was forced to play on the wing (at the time there were no substitutions). Despite the initial handicap, the Biancocelesti got organised and started attacking. In the 11th minute Luigi Balzarini was forced to fly to stop a Giancarlo Morrone free kick. The Italo-Argentinian had another couple of chances in the first 45 minutes but the Canarini goalkeeper was in a state of grace. In the 42nd minute Morrone hit the woodwork and Paolo Carosi kicked the possible tap-in wide. Two minutes later Giovanni Seghedoni passed to Guglielmo Mecozzi who sent a long ball to Angelo Longoni just inside the penalty area. He stopped the ball and then volleyed it into the net. Lazio 1 Modena 0.
The Biancocelesti could have made it two almost immediately as Morrone gave a splendid assist to the injured Pinti but his weak shot was saved by Balzarini. Pinti missed another chance in the beginning of the second half. Modena tried a foray in the Lazio half for the first time in the 60th minute but Maurizio Thermes’ shot was parried by Idilio Cei in collaboration with Adelmo Eufemi. Towards the end of the game there was a big chance for the visitors. Lamberto Leonardi dribbled most of the Lazio defence and set up Lamberto Giorgis, his shot was miraculously saved by Cei. In the 83rd minute Enrico Pagliari was sent off for a bad foul on Mecozzi.
Great win for Lazio who were now just one point from third place.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Lovati
TD: Ricciardi
Who played for Modena
Balzarini, Barucco, Cuttica, Thermes, Aguzzoli, Ottani, Leonardi, Tinazzi, Pagliari, Giorgis, Vetrano
Manager: Malagoli
Referee: Jonni
Goal: 44’ Longoni
Sources
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