With Scotland surprisingly losing at home to Wales this win proved very important in the race for the Home International Championship. Once again, though, it was a poor performance by England and indeed, a poor game overall.

With both defences well-organised all the forwards found it hard to make headway. Nat Lofthouse was the most dangerous of the England players and in one of the rare first-half attacking moves he almost scored. A fine crossfield pass by Len Phillips sent Tom Finney away and split the Irish defence wide open. Finney's pass found Lofthouse and only a desperate dive by Uprichard at the big centre-forward's feet saved the day. England's only other worthwhile attack of the half brought them a goal.

A fine move from Phillips to Lofthouse, square to Jackie Sewell, back to Lofthouse, on to Finney, and a centre into the middle met by a crashing header from Lofthouse again.

The goal brought hope for a better second half but, alas, the game never got any better, Both Sewell and Phillips were a little predictable in their play and only three moments in the second half warranted a mention. McMorran was unlucky with Northern Ireland's best effort of the match when his tremendous 25-yard shot crashed against the angle of the post and the crossbar after he beat Malcolm Barass, not for the first time.

The second moment was when a firework went off surprising a touch-line photographer, much to the crowd's amusement. The final highlight gave England their second and decisive goal. It came thanks to a bad mistake by Uprichard seven minutes from the end. A harmless looking centre from Sewell was dropped by the goalkeeper straight to the feet of the lurking Lofthouse and before you could say his name the ball was in the back of the net to make it 2-0.
   

The selectors experimented by giving inside-forwards Jackie Sewell and Len Phillips their first caps either side of Nat Lofthouse, who scored a goal in each half. Birmingham City goalkeeper Gil Merrick made the short journey to Villa Park for his first of twenty-three caps.  He kept a clean sheet, but was lucky in the second half when a screaming twenty-five yard shot from Barnsley forward Eddie McMorran crashed against the crossbar. Billy Wright gave a vintage performance. He was the boss both of the defence and the midfield. His tackles were panther-like in their speed, and then he always found a team-mate with a well judged pass.
  

When England met Ireland at Villa Park on November 14th three changes were made from the team that met Wales, Sewell and Phillips taking the inside-forward positions, whilst Merrick replaced Williams in goal. Although it looked well enough on paper, and was the same side that effectively against the Scottish League, the England attack was scrappy and disappointing. Ireland fielded a better team than she had for a number of years, and as the only two goals of the match were the result of mistakes by the Irish defence, it might have been anyone's match.
In the first half Medley looked dangerous, but the ball tended to be pushed down the middle. Finney, too, on the other wing received very useful passes. The first goal came just before half-time, when, following a spasm of brilliant inter-passing with Sewell and Finney, Lofthouse headed the ball into an undefended goal. The English goal was left for the most part unmolested, though a fine shot from McMorran, Ireland's centre-forward, struck the post from 25 yards. Lofthouse also scored England's second goal when Uprichard, the Irish goalkeeper, dropped a centre from Sewell right at his feet.

International Football Results (14 November 1951)
Home International Championship: Scotland 0 Wales 1    Hampden Park, Glasgow (71,272) Allchurch   Scotland's Tommy Orr hit the post from an eighth-minute penalty and their hopes of retaining the championship took a huge blow when Ivor Allchurch headed in the winner in the last minute.		Home International Championship Table Team P W D L F A ₧ England 2 1 1 0 3 1 3 Wales 2 1 1 0 2 1 3 Scotland 2 1 0 1 3 1 2 Ireland 2 0 0 2 0 5 0

   

TheFA.com Original newspaper reports Northern Ireland's Football Greats

Rothman's Yearbooks Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record Norman Giller, Football Author British Pathé