Lugano II lost 0:1 to Ham in the ninth round of the 1. Liga Promotion on Saturday. The visitors took all three points away from Cornaredo, extending their push toward the promotion places. Ham now sit third in the table, nine points clear of the teams around them.
The hosts started brighter and took the lead in the twenty-ninth minute. Their striker finished a move down the right flank to put Lugano II ahead. Ham responded well and turned the game around after the break. J. Facal headed in a cross from the left edge of the box in the sixtieth minute and put the visitors in control.
And here's the thing — we had Ham winning at 44 per cent confidence before kickoff. The odds reflected their form, and the result confirmed it. They were the stronger side on paper, and they showed it when it mattered.
By then, the gap between the two sides had widened. Lugano II remain fifteenth with nine points from nine games, having lost six of their matches. Ham, meanwhile, have collected nineteen points from six wins and one draw. The table tells the story of two very different campaigns.
Ham's recent run has been uneven. They beat Brühl 2:1 on the weekend, but lost to Juventus U23 in between. Their 4:0 win over Zurich II was the standout result, while the draw at Bellinzona showed they can grind out points away from home.
The result leaves Lugano II six points adrift of safety. They need to find consistency if they are to avoid the drop. Ham's victory keeps them in contention for promotion, and they will be weighing up a move toward the top four in the coming weeks.
