SATURDAY 5TH APRIL, 1958
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1 (Clamp pen) PORTSMOUTH 0
Finlayson; Stuart, Harris; Clamp, Wright (capt), Slater;
Deeley, Broadbent, Murray, Mason, Mullen;
Uprichard; McGhee, Wilson; Phillips, Rutter, Dickinson (capt);
Harris, McClellan, Dougan, Barnard, Govan;
Two points for Wolves, following their fine win at West Bromwich last week, makes them almost certain to win the League Championship. Although they dominated the play against a mediocre Portsmouth side, they could only score once and it was on the whole a most unsatisfactory performance for potential European contestants. Wolves gained an enormous amount of corner which is perhaps an indication of a weakness to concentrate attacks on the wings instead of down the centre.
Murray is a fine opportunist, but he lacks the driving power of his predecessor Swinbourne, who could score his goals with powerful drives from a considerable distance, as of course did his contemporary Hancocks. The present team appear to score the majority of their goals from close range. However, we must give credit to the Pompey defence in which right back McGhee and the evergreen Jimmy Dickinson were outstanding. Uprichard was rarely troubled, but his finest save was a full length dive to stop a powerful shot from Bill Slater.
Wolves defence seems to have improved as far as using the ball is concerned, but Stuart is still prone to the occasional aimless punt upfield.
MONDAY 7TH APRIL, 1958
LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 0 READING 0
Savage; Haddington (capt), Guttridge; Billingham, McPherson, Rawlings;
Moore, Murray, Brownlee, Richards, Taylor (B);
Ames; McLaren, Reeves (capt); Anderton, Davies, Evans;
Harrison, Whitehouse, Kirkup, Walker, Wheeler;
Again, yet again, the old and oft repeated story of Walsall domination and inability to score. They completely outplayed Reading currently third in the league and in full cry for promotion. Both teams were without their best forwards, Walsall lacking Faulkner and Reading missing Dixon, their leading goal scorer.
Another similarity between the two teams was that both goalkeepers had recently been sent off the field. Reading were obviously all out to obtain maximum points as was clearly shown by their vigorous approach to the game and the way they packed their defence, but their attack despite being prompted by the valuable ex-Wolves player Johnny Walker, could make little progress against Walsall's sound defence.
Haddington received a cut cheek, which necessitated three stitches being inserted, but returned to play a splendid game, having remarkable speed at times. Little of credit can be said about the forwards. Brownlee had the two best chances to score, but sent the first one over the goalkeeper and the second one over the bar.
WEDNESDAY 30TH APRIL, 1958
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM
ASTON VILLA 1 (Hitchens) NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1 (Saward og)
Sims; Lynn, Aldis; Crowe, Dugdale (capt), Saward;
Smith Sewell, Hitchens, Myerscough, McParland;
Lightning; Hutchinson, Thomas; Farmer, McKinlay, Burkitt (capt);
Gray, Joyce, Wilson, Quigley, Imlach;
Referee:- Mr. J.J. Baxter, Bassingbourne
The main interest in this game, which was the last of the season for both clubs, was whether Villa's right back, Stan Lynn, could equal the record of goals in a season by a full back. He had already scored nine before this game and only wanted one more for the record. Also of interest was the fact that both left wingers had been chosen for their countries' World Cup parties. Mc Parland for Ireland and Imlach for Scotland. Another World Cup choice was Vic Crowe, the Villa wing half, for Wales.
It was soon obvious that Lynn was going all out for this vital goal, as he joined in the attack whenever possible, but Villa did not get one corner in the first half and it is from short corners that Lynn had go most of his goals. Villa did take the lead during the first half when Myerscough pushed the ball across from the left and Sewell let it run on to Hitchens who scored with a great shot from the edge of the penalty area which went straight into the corner of the net. Half time 1-0.
In the second half more was seen of the lively Forest side which played some grand football, despite the absence of their schemer in chief, Eddie Bailey. Their approach play was often brilliant, but their shooting was rather poor. When they did get in a good shot Sims showed himself to be in brilliant form and many are wondering shy this fine goalkeeper has been left out of England's World Cup party. However, when Forest's equaliser did come, it was rather a lucky effort.
Gray worked his way in from the right wing and pushed the ball back to right half Farmer. Sims appeared to have the shot covered, but Saward suddenly stuck out a foot and deflected it into the far corner of the net.
Lynn's best chance of scoring came following a corner taken by Smith, but just as he was running in to shoot, McParland, who had not seen him coming, blazed well wide. His only other near miss came following another corner when he got his head to the ball and saw it go about a foot wide. So no record after all.
THURSDAY 1ST MAY, 1958
F.A. YOUTH CUP FINAL (SECOND LEG) Attendance 18,000
WOLVES YOUTH 6 (Farmer 4, Durandt 2) CHELSEA YOUTH 1 (Greaves)
(Wolves won on aggregate 7-6 after losing the first leg 5-1)
Cullen; Kelly, Yates; Kirkham, Palin (capt), Cocker;
Read, Hall, Farmer, Durandt, Horne;
Smart; Shellito, Legg; Bradbury, Scott, Long;
Block, Cliss, Bridges, Greaves, Harrison;
Referee:- Mr. L. Howarth, Beverley
Chelsea, who included five players at present in the first team - Scott, Block, Cliss, Greaves and Harrison, had won the first leg of the Final on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge by five goals to one. It seemed that Wolves would be hard pressed to catch up. Jimmy Greaves, Chelsea's wonder boy who has scored over 20 goals in the First Division this season, turned down a chance to play for England Under 23s against the England World Cup team tomorrow in order to play in this game tonight.
Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd the young Wolves, none of whom has ever played for the first team yet, showed that they were determined to put up a good fight. After only eight minutes a great roar greeted the first goal scored by Farmer following a left wing move by the two South Africans, Durandt and Horne. Seven minutes later Farmer scored again when Smart could only punch out a fierce cross by Durandt from the right.
After only half an hours play a centre by Horne resulted in a goalmouth scramble and Farmer completed his hat-trick and then went on to score his fourth five minutes before half time after good work by Horne and Hall. This made the aggregate score level at 5-5 at the interval and the Wolves side, and in particular the irrepressible Farmer, were cheered to the echo as they left the field
Chelsea seemed more determined during the second half, but the quick tackling Wolves defence win which Palin was outstanding were never seriously troubled. Kirkham, a tall, strong right half similar to Eddie Clamp in style, also had a fine game and the Wolves forward line, even without two star performers in Mannion and Perry, combined beautifully, the two inside forwards being particularly good, Durandt being very similar to Bobby Mason in style.
It was Durandt who eventually settled the issue after eighty two minutes by slamming a Horne centre into the net to put Wolves ahead. He then got another by brilliantly lobbing a pass from Cocker over Smart's head, before Greaves got a consolation goal for Chelsea.
As soon as the game, and the season, ended the floodlights were switched on and the crowd surged across the pitch to see the Youth Cup presented. Tributes were paid to both sides for the wonderful show they had put up and the players, all of whom were under eighteen on September first last year, thoroughly deserved every word of praise for a fine exhibition of football.
So ended a memorable season for Wolves. The first team has won the First Division Championship and seven of the the players have been named for the England World Cup party - Harris, Clamp, Wright, Flowers, Slater, Deeley and Broadbent. The second team won the Central League Championship by a hansom margin, the third team the Birmingham League and the fourth team pulled off the league and cup double in the Worcestershire Combination.
In addition Wolves had beaten the Champions of Europe, Real Madrid at Molineux, and drawn with them in Madrid. As a result of their League Championship win they have won a place in next season's European Cup competition where they will have a great opportunity to bring further honours to Wolverhampton and to England.
No comments:
Post a Comment