La Chiesa's hopes of 'doing an Arsenal', and going the season
unbeaten, were torn apart at The Brittania Ground, Loughton this morning. Expectations were
high following the impressive demolition of Stonewood last Sunday, but a comedy of errors and a moment of ill discipline cost
the Hornchurch Rossoneri dear against opponents far superior to last week's victims.
LC/DC arrived in East London
sixteen strong, giving them the ability to leave those still recovering from Saturday night horrors on the bench until the
second half (or in some cases next week) . With Cy Taylor making shapes in Ibiza, Bobby O'Toole was drafted
in on the right, while Colin Williams returned on the left in place of Matt Gillham, who had been yawning in technicolor all
morning. The bench had a strong look to it with Adam Jeffers and Darren Hodsoll back from holiday.
Although Chiesa should have
been brimming with confidence from the previous Sunday, they struggled to find any rythm on a perfect playing surface that
was well suited to their passing game. Indeed it was the home team that dominated the early stages, and LC/DC had keeper
Danny Hardwick to thank for a fantastic save from a right foot volley to keep them from falling behind in the first fifteen
minutes. Slowly Chiesa began to find their feet and create a chance or two of their own. Dennis Peck almost gave them an undeserved
lead with a left foot volley that flew past the far post, but it was from one of their own attacks that they fell
behind. When a corner was cleared deep into the visitors half, the danger seemed minimal, but a lack of communication
between Hardwick and Iain Gay resulted in Chiesa's number ten heading past his keeper into his own goal, and giving Ladzio
taking the lead.
As is so often the case, falling
behind was the spark that ignited La Chiesa, and it was a different team that played out the second quarter
of the match. Ladzio's number fifteen received the first caution of the day for a late tackle, a slightly harsh decision,
and soon after, his team lost their lead. Chiesa midfielder Sam Knowles is an infrequent header of a football, but when Colin
Williams clipped an inviting ball in from the left, he was first to react, rising above his marker to flick the
ball into the top corner and put LC/DC back on level terms.
The game was now flowing from
end to end. Chiesa's midfield were beginning to pass the ball arouund with confidence, Williams and Gay linking on the left
to good effect, Dean Jordan and Knowles doing likewise in the middle. Ladzio were still attacking with menace though, and
were unlucky not to retake the lead when a bullet of a shot deflected onto the underside of the bar, before John Riley cleared
the danger. There was an optimistic feel to Chiesa's half time team talk, however, the feeling being that they
had weathered the storm, and the game was there to be won.
Chiesa dominated the early
stages of the second half without carving out any clear cut chances for frontman Trew and Peck. Although there was ample examples
of midfield trickery, left wing pass and move play, and surging runs from the right from young O'Toole, there
was little for Ladzio's back line to be overly concerned about. Adam Jeffers replaced Trew early in the second forty five
to try and pose a different problem for the Ladzio defence. Another run from O'Toole was brought to a crushing halt, and he
was replaced by Club Captain Darren Hodsoll.
With less than half an hour
remaining, the game was there for the taking for either side. Most spectators in the plush confines of the Brittania were
of the opinion that scoring the next goal was vital deciding who bagged all three points. Unfortunately for Chiesa's
travelling army, it was the hosts that were next to strike.When an LC/DC move on the right broke down, three swift passes
were all it took to leave a clear opportunity for Craig Glashan to take the ball coolly around the despairing Hardwick,
and restore Ladzio's advantage.
Then came ten minutes of madness
that will have ramifications on the rest of Chiesa's 2004. Referee Cohen had been fussy but consistent for the first hour
of the match, but seemed to lose the plot a little midway through the second half. In psychedelic scenes that wouldn't
have been out of place in Alice in Wonderland, nothing was quite as it seemed. Obvious fouls were ignored, fair tackles
were punished, goal kicks were corners, and throw ins were awarded to whoever was last to touch the ball. Most players from
both sides were childishly giggling at the shenanigans, but a few choice words from Chiesa's Dean Jordan saw him sent off
before he could be substituted, and his team mates were left with an uphill battle to salvage anything from the game. A sorry
way to end an otherwise impressive game for Chiesa's summer signing.
Although just a goal behind,
Chiesa had seemed to give up the ghost, and it took a rallying cry from Riley to remind them there was a game to be won. They
attacked with more vigour thereafter, Matt Gillham replacing Mark Harris in an attempt to pile on the pressure, but
with ten minutes remaining they fell further behind. Keeper Hardwick kept Ladzio at bay with a splendid fingertip save from
a point blank header, but was all at sea from the resulting corner as Ben Bartlett headed home amid slack LC/DC
marking.
The game appeared to be up
for Chiesa, but they were thrown a lifeline in the 84th minute, when Iain Gay was upended in the box, and referee Cohen awarded
a penalty. Knowles slotted away the kick for his second of the match to set up a grandstand finish. The opportunity
for an equaliser came soon after, when Chiesa were awarded an indirect free kick after timewasting by Ladzio keeper Danny.
Dennis Peck teed up Gay, but his fiercely struck shot whistled agonisingly past the post.
Chiesa were throwing everyone
forward now in an attempt to salvage a point ,and there were always going to be opportunities for Ladzio on the break. A mix
up between Riley and Terry Soteriou left John Sapsford with a clear run on goal, and he finished in cheeky style
for the sixth goal of the match. There was still time for Chiesa to reduce the deficit, when a poor goal kick was seized
upon by Jeffers, who, along with Peck did his best to miss the chance before nodding home a typical muggers snatch. With less than a minute left on the clock,
there was no time for a final push for an equaliser, and ten man Chiesa left the pitch empty handed.
A close match that could
have gone either way, the pivotal moment was the second Ladzio goal that seemed to knock the stuffing out of LC/DC, and
though they played well in spasms, it was the home side that deservedly took all three points
home with them in the end.
LCDC; (3-5-2) D Hardwick; Harris (M Gillham), Riley,
Soteriou; O'Toole (Hodsoll), Gay, Jordan, Knowles, Williams;Trew (Jeffers), Peck
Gols - Knowles 2 (1 pen) Jeffers
Tarjeta Rojo - Jordan
Arbitro - M Cohen
