This first match of England's summer tour turned out to be very disappointing game with Italy looking the more likely winners. England started well enough and took the lead after only four minutes with a well-taken goal by Ivor Broadis. For the next 25 minutes the visitors bombarded the Italian goal, only to be totally frustrated by an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Moro.

He defied all that England could throw at him and made particularly good saves from Nat Lofthouse and Tom Finney. If England could have added to their early score in this period of intense pressure then they would surely have gone on to a convincing victory.

As it was their missed chances enabled Italy to fight their way back into the game. A minute before half-time Piola missed a golden opportunity to net an equalizer and England still held their lead at the break.

Before the change of ends, Italy had shown their capabilities an din the second half they dominated the game. The England defenders worked overtime to repel the eager Italians and Billy Wright and Jack Froggatt were in outstanding form. However, in the 63rd minute Italy's pressure paid off with Amadei scoring to put his side level.

For the remainder of the match, urged on by their passionate crowd, the home side continually pressed forward. England did make one or two dangerous breakaway raids but neither side could force a winner. For Piola it was the last chance at international level as he made his 34th and last appearance. At 39 years old he had been especially recalled for this game and that missed chance just before half-time ruined the poissibilty of a glorious ending to his career.
  

Only Billy Wright and Tom Finney remained of the England team that had conquered Italy 4-0 in Turin in 1948. Ivor Broadis gave England a fourth minute lead that was cancelled out by a spectacular solo effort from Amadei in the sixty-third minute. The idolised centre-forward Piola, who had helped Italy retain the World Cup in 1938, was recalled for a swansong appearance at the age of thirty-nine. It ended on a sad note for him when he missed an easy chance for a winner in front of an empty net. It was the cool heads of Wright and Ramsey that brought England safely through to a draw when the Italians were threatening to run riot in the second half.
   

Source Notes

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author
____________________

CG