Young England win the phantom match
This was phantom football, a muffled mystery of a match, shrouded in a clammy grey blanket of fog. In my opinion it should never have been started—everything that went across on the far side of the pitch here at Goodison Park had to be guessed at.
   IT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE SEEN.
Six minutes after the start, a great roar from the crowd behind England keeper Eddie Hopkinson's goal told us that Scotland had gone in front. Outside left Eddie O'Hara carved out the chance and scorer was centre forward Alex Young.
   At least, I believe it was Young—he was the one who got all the back slaps and handshakes on the return trip to the centre circle.
After half-an-hour this exercise in eye-strain eased a little as one corner of the fog blanket lifted and let in a glimmer of light. For a spell the flitting phantoms became footballers and you could see, appreciate . . .  and criticise.
   Two who did take the eye were Young England's inside forward pair, Joe Hayes, of Manchester City, and Jimmy Greaves, of Chelsea.
It was Hayes who tested Scots 'keeper Dick Beattie, with a tremendous drive. It was greaves who laid on a great scoring chance that Wolves centre-forward Jimmy Murray only just missed. For the Scots, I would single out right half David McKay, of Hearts, a terrific worker, with a tackle that had the snap and effect of a steel trap closing.
   Four minutes before half-time, Murray made up for that earlier miss by popping in the England equaliser.
And just before the interval whistle they went in front when wonder boy Jimmy Greaves glided though to finish off a move started by Hayes and Murray. Scotland missed a great chance of drawing level in the sixtieth minute, when O'Hara, their brightest forward, got the England defence in a terrible tangle.
   He put Young clean through, only to see the centre forward shoot wide from a yard out!
But with the light improving ever so slightly, England were in command, moving faster, tackling harder, thinking quicker. Beattie made three brilliant saves in five fantastic minutes, diving to snatch the ball from the thundering feet of first Hayes then Murray then Greaves. And he made a desperate attempt to stop the point-blank shot from Hayes which put England 3—1 up after eighty minutes, actually managing to parry the ball but not quite succeeding in robbing it of the impetus which carried it over the line.
   

This was played at Everton in such poor weather, a swirling fog obscuring much of the play. England won quite comfortably, but without really impressing as a great side. They took some time to settle down and were a goal in arrears after six minutes, when Young scored from a pass by O'Hara. The equaliser was delayed until shortly before half time when Murray scored with a finely angled shot from a free-kick taken by Crowther, who once again played well. Greaves scored England's second just on the interval, following a good move on the left wing, an in the second half England really took a grip on the play. A third goal by Hayes served to confirm their advantage seven minutes from time.