Lazio's pre-game prep was scuppered as the referee didn't show up until 20 minutes after the scheduled kick off time. Having looked sharp in the warm up, the delay meant that Lazio didn't start the match at 100 miles an hour as was hoped. However, Lazio still started the brighter of the 2 teams.
Within the first 10 minutes, the game could have been out of sight already. First, jesus found himself 1-on-1 with the keeper. A heavy touch played the ball away from goal and he couldn't adjust his feet to get a clean shot on goal, instead skewing the ball wide of the goal. Moments later, Shane did brilliantly to get a brave header past the onrushing keeper but the ball went the wrong side of the post.
A physical Jobstown started to get a foot in the game, and on the 15th minutes they scored. I honestly can't remember the goal as I was so fucking angry inside my head that we'd conceded!!
Lazio kept trying to attack in what was quite a scrappy game, and on 30 minutes, jesus found himself through on goal again. This time he got a clean strike to the ball, but fired it at the crossbar.
Eventually we equalised when Caff rose higher than anyone else from a cross to header in off the crossbar. There was a moment of question to whether the ball had crossed the line, but the goal was rightly given. 1-1.
Lazio changed formation for the 2nd half but it started much like the 1st had been, a scrappy affair. Jobstown continued to use their physical presence to bully Lazio off the ball with home side struggling to make their presence felt on the pitch. Shane, as usual, put himself about up front and with Tiago alongside him tried to make opportunities. That opportunity came in the 54th minute, when some poor defending gave him the opportunity to scoop the ball over the keeper. With held breath, everyone watched the ball bounce just wide of the goal. It was going to be Lazio's best chance of the half to take the lead.
It was jobstown who did take the lead in the 66th minute. Some good defensive blocks inside the box, lead to the ball bouncing out to a jobstown player on the edge of the box. He hit a strike which beat an outstretched Bo. 1-2. A disappointing goal, especially as no-one closed the strike down.
The game looked over at that point, with no real chance of note for Lazio until Gally did superbly to get his head onto a cross, but the ball rebounded off the post with barely any time to spare.
Not a great day for lazio, and probably the most incoherent performance of this season so far. We just didn't play as we have been in the league and preseason so far. Fair play to jobstown, they play a physical game, but lazio really need to remember the style of football they are being asked to play. Didn't happen today. Yes, the game could have been out of sight early in the game, but a lack of decisiveness and clinical finishing was ultimately the achilles heel today.
A chance to forget this one on Wednesday now, with a friendly against Terenure before a big cup game against an equally matched team on Friday night.
