SATURDAY 25TH DECEMBER 1954
DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 4 (Myerscough 2, Meek, Richards) SHREWSBURY TOWN O
Baldwin; Guttridge, Vinall; Crook (capt), McPherson, Tarrant;
Morris, Dorman, Richards, Myerscough, Meek;
Crossley; Bannister (capt), Parr; Wallace, Atkins, Maloney;
Price, O'Donnell, Hudson, Russell, Weigh;
Referee:- A. Holland, Barnsley
Christmas Day morning at Fellows Park and Walsall's remarkable recent run continues. Shrewsbury had most of the early play and Walsall took time to settle down. After twenty seven minutes Crook sent out a lovely pass to Meek whose centre was eventually scrambled home by Myerscough. He scored a similar goal from Meek's corner after thirty seven minutes. Half-time 2-0.
Walsall, now attacking the laundry end, monopolised the play. After fifty one minutes Meek raced through on his own to score a fine goal, Crossley making a poor attempt to save. Three minutes later Dorman put Richards through on his own to get his inevitable goal. O'Donnell, in spite of a clash with Vinall, was Shrewsbury's best forward, closely followed by Russell.
McPherson, after a shaky start, commanded the middle and used the ball well. Dorman, and as a result Morris, had a poor game but Walsall ran out easy winners yet again.
MONDAY 27TH DECEMBER 1954 Attendance 18,179
DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT THE GAY MEADOW, SHREWSBURY
SHREWSBURY TOWN 2 (O'Donnell 2) WALSALL 2 (Morris, Richards)
McBride; Bannister (capt), Parr; Beynon, Atkins, Maloney;
Price, O'Donnell, Weight, Brennan, McCue;
Baldwin; Guttridge, Vinall; Crook (capt), McPherson, Tarrant;
Morris, Dorman, Richards, Myerscough, Meek;
Referee:- A. Holland, Barnsley
The recent success of the Walsall side has aroused great interest and it was estimated that seven thousand supporters travelled to Shrewsbury for this return match. Indeed it was like a cup tie, with scarves, rattles and red and white rosettes in abundance. The attendance was a ground record and many people unable to get into the ground stood on the nearby railway embankment.
Shrewsbury again dominated the early exchanges and it was not surprise when after a move between Weight and McCue, O'Donnell put them ahead in the twenty ninth minute. Walsall became more dangerous as half time approached particularly on the wings. However McBridge, who had taken over from Crossley after his poor display on Christmas Day, saved brilliantly on several occasions. Half time 1-0.
Soon after the interval Crook sent in a splendid long shot which appeared to go into the net, hit the support at the back and come out again, but the referee said play on! Baldwin saved brilliantly from Weight after a shot had rebounded from the post and then after sixty two minutes Walsall drew level. Myerscough sent a long ball to Morris who raced past Parr, cut into the centre and scored from close range. After eighty minutes O'Donnell scored a similar goal to his first to put Shrewsbury ahead once more with ten minutes left.
With seven thousand supporters cheering them on Walsall equalised five minutes later when Morris ran right across the field, centred to Myerscough for the inside left to nod on to Richards and the centre forward headed it into the net. What a prolific scorer he has become. Walsall with the crowd roaring them on more than ever tried very hard for the winning goal but they could be content with a draw and three points from the two Christmas matches.
SATURDAY 8TH JANUARY 1955
F.A. CUP THIRD ROUND AT STAMFORD BRIDGE Attendance 40,020
CHELSEAS 2 (O'Connell, Stubbs) WALSALL 0
Robertson; Sillett, Willemse; Armstrong, Wicks, Saunders;
Parsons, S.O'Connell, Bentley, Stubbs, Blunstone;
Baldwin; Guttridge, Vinall; Crook, McPherson, Tarrant;
Morris, Dorman, Richards, Myerscough, Meek;
Referee:- G.W. Pullin, Bristol
Probably the strongest side that Walsall have fielded for many years.
Walsall came out to a great welcome from their travelling supporters ready to perform in front of the biggest crowd's in their history. Parsons, a lively winger for Chelsea broke through early on but Baldwin in the Walsall goal made the first of many saves. Then the outside right was cleverly stopped by Albert Vinall, who played him very well throughout the match. After seven minutes, Seamus O'Connell, the amateur international, lobbed the ball into the goalmouth and Parsons did the impossible by scooping it over the bar.
Then Baldwin dived at Stubb's feet to save again. Walsall's first attack came when Robertson had to punch away a dangerous centre from Meek. Finally after sixteen minutes Chelsea took the lead, England centre forward Roy Bentley pushing the ball down the middle for O'Connell to place it into the corner of the net.
Walsall fought back and Tarrant's fierce free kick hit the barrier of defenders and went over the bar.
From a Morris corner the ball rebounded to Guttridge whose hard thirty yard shot went only a foot over. Morris then sent in a shot which swerved just inside the post and Robertson dived brilliantly to push it for yet another corner. Bentley and Parsons engineered an opening for O'Connell, who lunged at the ball and sent it spinning over the bar. The two centre forwards had seen little of the ball with reserve McPherson blotting out Bentley and the tall Wicks was too much for Richards, try hard as he did. Half time 1-0.
For most of the first half the Saddlers had equalled Chesea in every department of the game, but in the second half Chelsea's superior class began to tell and although Walsall never gave up, only stout defence and a brilliant goalkeeper kept the score down. The best save was from surprise cross shot by O'Connell which Baldwin kept out with a full length dive.
Meek had the beating off full back Sillett all afternoon, but his centres came to nothing. After an hour's play, Saunders put a high ball to Bentley, who appeared to be offside, he headed it down to Stubbs' feet and he gave Baldwin no chance this time. So 2-0 to Chelsea and it was backs to the wall time for Walsall, Guttridge was not finding Blunstone's speed and cleverness too much for him and the pace also seemed to be too much for Ted Tarrant.
Dorman got in Walsall's best effort, running through on his own but shooting just wide. It was too late for the gallant third division side, but Baldwin and Meek in particular, could be proud of their performances. The other best players for Walsall were Vinall, Crook and Dorman, all with first division experience in the past and also the young reserve centre half, Albert McPherson.
Walsall's full back Bill Guttridge, a no nonsense hard tackling player if there ever was one, had the nickname of 'Chopper' with all the Walsall fans and rumour has it that the Chelsea supporters were so impressed with this name that they christened their own Ron Harris with it, which he kept for years to come.
SATURDAY 19TH FEBRUARY, 1955
F.A. CUP FIFTH ROUND AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 4 (Wilshaw 3, Hancocks) CHARLTON 1 (Hewie)
Williams; Stuart, Shorthouse; Slater, Wright (capt), Flowers;
Hancocks, Broadbent, Swinbourne, Wilshaw, Smith;
Bartram; Campbell, Townsend; Fenton (capt), Ufton, Pembery;
Hurst, Leary, Hewie, Firmani, Kiernan;
Referee:- K. Howley, Middlesborough
The pitch had a light covering of snow and was marked out in blue. Wolves had the first choice team available., but Charlton were still without their England Under 23 international centre forward Bobby Ayre. Hewie, a full back, moved to centre forward and former Cardiff and Torquay player Pembery came in at left half.
Bartram, as usual, got a great reception when he took his place in the Charlton goal and he was soon in action saving a header from Wilshaw in the first minute. Swinbourne was prominent in several early Wolves
attacks and when fouled obtained a free kick which Hancocks drove against a barrier of defenders. The ball rebounded to Broadbent whose shot was brilliantly saved by Bartram
Charlton nearly opened the score when the balding Hurst cut into the middle and sent in a shot which Williams stopped brilliantly but could only push it to Firmani, who hesitated and had his shot blocked by a defender. However it was Wolves who took the lead after fifteen minutes play. Slater centred from the right and as Townsend mis-kicked, Wilshaw poked it into the net. Wilshaw found the net again two minutes later, heading in a perfect free-kick taken by Smith, who was deputising for Mullen.
Charlton were not finished yet and Williams had to tip a long shot from Fenton over the bar. Then from the corner the England keeper brilliantly tipped a Firmani header over, but the Charlton assault did not last long and Wilshaw completedd his hat trick after thirty seven minutes. Broadbent put Hancocks away down the right wing and the tiny wingman danced around Townsend and slammed the ball across goal. Bartram touched it but could not hold it and Wilshaw had an easy task to tap it home.
Two minutes later, following a fierce goalmouth struggle, Charlton reduced the lead. Firmani looked certain to score, but the ball struck Shorthouse standing on the line, bounced out, then hit Hewie's leg and went into the net. Half time 3-1.
Play fluctuated from end to end for most of the second half and Charlton, with Firmani always the danger man, came near to scoring on several occasions. Both goalkeepers made several good saves, but Wolves were not to be denied another goal and it came when Smith found the wandering Hancocks in the centre forward position with a long pass. Pembery slipped on the treacherous surface and Hancocks crashed the ball past Bartram to take Wolves through to the next round.
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