HE crowd was fully 20,000 strong half-an-hour before the
time fixed for kick-off, but the interval was whiled away in speculation
as to the result of the contest, in good-humored banter between Englishmen
and Scotchmen, and in enjoying the spectacle of two stalwart pipers
marching round the enclosure playing 'music' which appealed to the
gathering of the clans. A large party of Scotchmen who assembled in a
solid phalanx on the reserved stand were particularly demonstrative every
time they were thrilled by the pibroch. but then there was no mistaking
the fact that the distilled dewdrops of the mountainsides had been freely
assimilated. Four o'clock was, truly, late enough for a commencement, but
at that hour, and just as the peregrinating pipers had completed their
last parade, Gosling led on the English team amid cheers; but they were
not immediately followed by the Scots. Indeed, nearly eleven minutes
elapsed before Oswald headed Scotia's eleven.
Oswald lost no time in
shaking hands with Gosling, and the coin being tossed in the air the
Edinburgh centre-forward named it. Scotland accordingly took the City
goal, which gave them the advantage of a slight wind blowing towards
Walton. The hurly-burly began as the teams lined up, and at 4-13 Goodall
gave the ball motion. M'Pherson and Lambie raised hopes as they promptly
dashed along the left. They were nearing the goal of their ambition when
Lodge brought them up. England, who were dressed in white, while Scotland
donned dark blue, promptly retaliated. The towering figure of Gosling,
with the ball at his toe, was seen threading his way through a maze of
players. Just as he passed the eighteen yards line he was tackled by
Simpson, while Drummond kicked out, clear over the stand. This however,
did not thwart the Englishmen, for they pressed, and at the end of two
minutes were conceded the first corner, but Needham placed the ball behind
the goal. The game was fast and furious, the left wings of both sides
doing most of the leading work, while Crabtree and Doyle were conspicuous
for clever back-play. Needham was likewise very prominent in these early
exchanges, and the last-named centred right in front of the Scotch goal,
but Reynolds lifted the ball over the bar. Smith and Gosling continued
their aggressive movements, the pair working admirably together, and
Reynolds, obtaining the leather, dribbled in nicely and steadied himself,
but his final effort was wide of the mark. On really settling down the
feature of the game was the speedy combined movements of the English
forwards. They lined up time after time at a thrilling pace, the Scotch
half-backs being quite powerless to check their advances. Bassett and
Bloomer were very smart on the ball, but their shots were not as accurate
as they might have been. Waddell and Gulliland, on the other side, were
likewise a source of danger, and when Crabtree was beaten by Waddell, who
centred finely, matters looked awkward; but Lodge, ever on the alert,
cleared his lines with a huge kick. This Scotch wing was indeed very
troublesome for some time, but Lodge repeatedly distinguished himself by
his well-timed and judicious relief kicks. On the other side, Doyle made
some excellent returns. A brilliant run by Smith, who was well fed by
Gosling, was loudly applauded. The ball, however, being repassed to the
English captain, he could not quite steady himself, and Smith, regaining
the leather, sent in a clever screw shot, which the Celtic goalkeeper
nearly put into the net. Drummond clearing right off the line to the
middle of the field. This helped Scotland to attack, but the ball was
twice sent over the English goal, the shooting of the Scottish forwards
being very wild. Lodge and Reynolds put in some good work in defeating
Lambie. M'Pherson, and Oswald; but once the Scotchmen were beaten back,
there seemed, from this point, no holding the English forwards, their
combination and passing being in brilliant contrast to the scrambling,
ragged efforts of the Caledonians. Owing to the clever work of the three
English inside men, the Scotch stronghold seemed in danger of being
captured. Bloomer was in a splendid position, but could not take aim owing
to being hustled.
Still, two shots, with great pace behind them, were
made. One of them struck Doyle, and finally the ball was scrummaged
away—a very narrow escape for the Scotchmen, who, however, rallied. Sutcliffe
was tested by shots from Lambie and M'Pherson. The first of these he got
away rather slowly, and from the second he gave a corner. The flag-kick
was well taken, and in the play which followed, Waddell, at 4-35, shot
through the English goal, but Sutcliffe vigorously claimed a foul, and the
referee agreeing with him, no point was allowed. The Whites made straight
away to the other end, and just about the 18 yards line a free kick for
hands was claimed and allowed. Holt placed the ball very nicely, and
Bloomer, seeing his opening, sent in a terrific ground ball with his left
foot. This took effect, and so the first goal was scored for England at
4-38. Save that Waddell initiated a strong attack, which was neutralised
by the magnificent head play of Lodge, the Southerners continued to have
the best of the argument, and at the end of four minutes (4-42) a second
goal was credited to England. Smith, from a pass by Gosling, sped swiftly
down his wing. He transferred to his partner, who tipped the ball to
Goodall. The latter appeared to be going clean through the Scottish
defence, but a scrummage occurred. Goodall sent in a shot which brought
M'Arthur to his knees. He only partially cleared, and the ball rebounded
off Gibson through the Scottish goal. This was the second point
registered. Waddell and Gulliland did most of the leading work for their
side, but there was a great lack of unity in the Scotch forwards, and
their attacks were never consummated, owing to this defect. Reynolds and
Bassett, Gosling and Holt, were very tricky in their movements, and at
times it appeared as if the Englishmen could almost do as they liked. The
English captain was given a fine chance, but his shot was a poor thing, and
passed harmlessly outside the posts. Still, Gosling played with
conspicuous unselfishness. His one idea seemed to be to give Smith every
chance. The Aston Villa man got over a lot of ground in workmanlike
fashion, but Drummond dashing in, gave the ball to his front rank, and
Lodge, being considerably pressed kicked back to Sutcliffe, who punted out
in most approved style. Another attack by the Englishmen enabled Needham
to put in a rare screw which was cunningly curling under the bar when
Doyle intercepted its flight with his head. Scotland here made a spirited
effort, and Sutcliffe cleared a long shot to Oswald. The Scotch captain
shortly afterwards passed to Lambie, who steadied himself, and tested
Sutcliffe from close range with a swift ball. The Bolton Wanderer,
however, threw away most deftly, but even then danger was not averted, for
Waddell made two shots, both very dangerous. It was at this time that
Sutcliffe distinguished himself by a marvellous fear. The Scotch forwards
were all in front of him, and the excitement was intense as Sutcliffe,
with unfailing judgment, ran out a distance of four or five yards, and
using his hand like a cricket bat, took the ball clean away from the toes
of his opponents. It was a stroke in the nature of a drive, and the
leather rolled swiftly along the grass outside the corner flag. These
daring tactics were applauded to the echo. Sutcliffe did not escape scatheless, for in the fray he was accidentally kicked in the back
of the head by Waddell. The ringing cheers had barely subsided before
Gosling and his comrades had rushed to the other extremity of the ground.
It was an incisive attack, and Drummond headed away a difficult shot, The
ball went to the foot of Smith who registered the third goal a minute
before half-time with a beautiful lofty shot, which travelled at such a
pace and so accurately that the Scottish custodian had no chance of
intercepting it. Although three goals in arrear Scotland attacked with
spirit, and a free kick for hands against Lodge looked very dangerous,
but
Holt relieved, and the interval arrived. The game
restarted at 5-8 and the Scots commenced in good form, there being some
admirable passing between Gulliland and Oswald, which enabled the Scotch
captain to become very dangerous, but Lodge doubled him up while Sutcliffe
cleared. Gosling passed beautifully to Smith, and the latter sprinting
along centred magnificently, but Bassett was rather at fault, and Russell
cleared. Oswald several times tried to break away, but Holt was his
policeman. The English forwards still continued their masterly tactics,
and Bassett forced a corner off Doyle, but the ball was headed wide, while
shortly afterwards Simpson neutralised a nice movement by the English
right. The Whites were running around the Scotchmen, but their shooting at
the finish of all their work was very faulty. Sutcliffe cleared from
Waddell, and the ball was quickly transferred to the other end, when a
splendid centre by Bassett right from the line seemed likely to take
effect. M'Arthur, however, jumped up, and cut the ball out just near the
bar. Sutcliffe was, however, not allowed to rest on his laurels, and he
cleared two or three shots in fine form, while Smith sent in a brilliant
screw which Doyle headed effectively. So the game waged, but it certainly
was not increasing in interest. The English forwards and half-backs were
doing most of the leading work, but trickiness with the ball rather than
sterling play was the rule. The Englishmen did not go straight for goal in
determined fashion. They appeared prone to play to the gallery, and
naturally these tactics, although pretty, did not bring goals. Lambie,
M'Pherson, and Gulliland were the leading spirits in several forward
movements, but Crabtree, Lodge, and Needham were not to be beaten, while
when the ball got past them there was still that huge stumbling-block
Sutcliffe. Thrice did the Bolton Wanderer deal with well-meant efforts,
and one of these—a very swift ball from Waddell in the midst of a
scrummage—Sutcliffe cleared amid cheers. Goodall and Gosling were very
conspicuous, and the latter running clean through several opponents,
crashed the ball into the net, but no goal was allowed, the offside rule
having being infringed. The English forwards were again in full swing, but
Russell was very prominent in pulling them up. The Scotchmen did their
share of attacking, and Sutcliffe twice more relieved his lines with huge
punts in the most approved style of a finished three-quarter back. The
Englishmen certainly showed a disinclination to shoot, although they were
having the best of the argument, and at this time the referee came in for
considerable criticism owing to some of his decisions in regard to
offside, such, for instance, as giving a free kick against Smith with four
or five players in front of him. Smith shortly afterwards ran round
Drummond, and passing to the right, Bloomer and Goodall put in some clever
work. M'Arthur saving his charge with a dash of luck. After a fine but
abortive run by Bassett, who was grassed by Russell, the Scotch forwards
lined up capitally, but Sutcliffe dashed out out in the nick of time, and
with excellent judgment kicked away. Towards the finish the Southrons
swarmed round the Scotch goal, and put in repeated shots, but without
avail. Scotland made a kind of expiring effort by their left wing, but the
ball went wide, and the English forwards had just travelled into Scotch
quarters when the referee sounded the whistle for the cessation of
hostilities.
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