Articles
The Derby game
Ranger’s Notes
A good game without being a classic. I saw more good football during the first half than I have seen in any match this season, but let me say straight away that Liverpool were worthy winners after they looked like being beaten by superior craftsmen. We in the Press stand were all mystified by the offside decision which negative Wainwright’s goal in the seventh minute. We were all agreed that Wainwright was not nor could have been, offside and we were right, for I learned later that the referee disallowed the goal because Eglington was offside, not Wainwright. A goal then would have made all the difference, for Everton were playing excellent football; football which promised much, but brought so little. Liverpool at the time could not keep track of them, and their supporters must have been worried by the fluent was Everton cut and carved their way through by high-class combination. Much of Everton’s success was due to Stevenson, who was at his brightest and best. He piled every point of vantage and his colleagues responded so that the first half belonged to the home team. But all the time I was fearful of those raiding drives by Liverpool. They may not have been so spectators as Everton’s, but they brought the same result, and Everton were saved by Greenhalgh who kicked off the line, with Sagar at the other end of the goal. Sidlow had previously saved a free kick by T.G. Jones in masterly fashion. Sagar’s only work was a shot by Priday, which tells you in a nutshell how dominating had been Everton.
The Turning-Point
A miraculous save by Sidlow in the first minute of the second half, when Stevenson flicked Saunder’s free kick wide of the goalkeeper, only to see Sidlow get his fingers to the ball and edge it out, was, apart from a Fielding shot which struck the crossbar, the last we saw of Everton as an attacking force, for Liverpool rose in their might, took two goals in a minute and that in effect was the eclipse of Everton, for from then on the game belonged to the “Reds.” The first goal came at 50 minutes, Balmer swooping in, got himself in front of Sagar as Priday flung over his centre and rising from both feet, he flipped the ball around Sagar with his left foot –a goal in a thousand. One minute later, Stubbins, out on his own seemed like running into trouble for himself but he has just beat Sagar, to the ball and trickled it into goal. That plucked the heart out of Everton, who lost their rhythm and swing by the sensational turn of events. Liverpool, naturally with two goals in their pocket, were able to play with more ease and grace, and Everton became a purely defensive side, battling against a team which was riding the crest of the wave, Fagan’s goal was a gift from Stubbins. Strange as it may appear, the two goal scorers, Balmer and Fagan were the least seen in the victors attack, capably led by Stubbins, a classy ball player, with masterly touches and the unorthodox Priday, greatly improved since I last saw him. Hughes mastered Catterick and Lambert was superb. Now to the losers. Good footballers, without striking power. Fielding did not seem to relish his job at outside right, but fulfilled it well for half the game. But that could be said about the whole of the Everton team, which ultimately fell under the spell of two goals, and finished without fights. Tommy Jones was excellent all through, and Sagar made some good catches from the wings. Everton’s splendid football had no value against the raiding Liverpool, who at the interval could have had little hope of winning this match.
Copyright - The Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury - Transcribed by Blue Correspondent
A good game without being a classic. I saw more good football during the first half than I have seen in any match this season, but let me say straight away that Liverpool were worthy winners after they looked like being beaten by superior craftsmen. We in the Press stand were all mystified by the offside decision which negative Wainwright’s goal in the seventh minute. We were all agreed that Wainwright was not nor could have been, offside and we were right, for I learned later that the referee disallowed the goal because Eglington was offside, not Wainwright. A goal then would have made all the difference, for Everton were playing excellent football; football which promised much, but brought so little. Liverpool at the time could not keep track of them, and their supporters must have been worried by the fluent was Everton cut and carved their way through by high-class combination. Much of Everton’s success was due to Stevenson, who was at his brightest and best. He piled every point of vantage and his colleagues responded so that the first half belonged to the home team. But all the time I was fearful of those raiding drives by Liverpool. They may not have been so spectators as Everton’s, but they brought the same result, and Everton were saved by Greenhalgh who kicked off the line, with Sagar at the other end of the goal. Sidlow had previously saved a free kick by T.G. Jones in masterly fashion. Sagar’s only work was a shot by Priday, which tells you in a nutshell how dominating had been Everton.
The Turning-Point
A miraculous save by Sidlow in the first minute of the second half, when Stevenson flicked Saunder’s free kick wide of the goalkeeper, only to see Sidlow get his fingers to the ball and edge it out, was, apart from a Fielding shot which struck the crossbar, the last we saw of Everton as an attacking force, for Liverpool rose in their might, took two goals in a minute and that in effect was the eclipse of Everton, for from then on the game belonged to the “Reds.” The first goal came at 50 minutes, Balmer swooping in, got himself in front of Sagar as Priday flung over his centre and rising from both feet, he flipped the ball around Sagar with his left foot –a goal in a thousand. One minute later, Stubbins, out on his own seemed like running into trouble for himself but he has just beat Sagar, to the ball and trickled it into goal. That plucked the heart out of Everton, who lost their rhythm and swing by the sensational turn of events. Liverpool, naturally with two goals in their pocket, were able to play with more ease and grace, and Everton became a purely defensive side, battling against a team which was riding the crest of the wave, Fagan’s goal was a gift from Stubbins. Strange as it may appear, the two goal scorers, Balmer and Fagan were the least seen in the victors attack, capably led by Stubbins, a classy ball player, with masterly touches and the unorthodox Priday, greatly improved since I last saw him. Hughes mastered Catterick and Lambert was superb. Now to the losers. Good footballers, without striking power. Fielding did not seem to relish his job at outside right, but fulfilled it well for half the game. But that could be said about the whole of the Everton team, which ultimately fell under the spell of two goals, and finished without fights. Tommy Jones was excellent all through, and Sagar made some good catches from the wings. Everton’s splendid football had no value against the raiding Liverpool, who at the interval could have had little hope of winning this match.
Copyright - The Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury - Transcribed by Blue Correspondent
