We have got a little bit out of sequence by concentrating on Manchester United's performances after the Munich air crash but will go back in time to catch up with other events starting with two games in two days during the middle of February. The second one shows how West Bromwich Albion progressed to meet Manchester United in that sixth round tie.
TUESDAY 18TH FEBRUARY, 1958
FRIENDLY MATCH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 2 (Brown, Murray) PETERBOROUGH UNITED 0
Savage; Haddington (capt), Guttridge; Billingham, McPherson, Rawlings;
Bullock, Murray, Richards, Brown, Taylor (B);
Walls; Stafford, Walker; Shaw (capt), Rigby, Crawford;
Hails, Emery, Donaldson, Cluroe, Smith;
This floodlit friendly with Midland League side Peterborough aroused much interest because of the visitors many attempts to gain admittance to the Football League and Walsall's many re-elections to the League during that time. Peterborough's attempt to gain further prestige proved to be a failure as Walsall's comfortable 2-0 victory could easily have been three times as big.
Several chances were missed, particularly in the second half when Walsall played delightful football at times, instead of relying on Savage's huge punts down the centre, as they had done in the first half, to set up their attacks.Walsall's first goal came in rather surprising fashion, Billingham seemed to mis-hit his lob into the goalmouth, but Brown stumbled on the ball and knocked it into the net.
The second was a grand goal, made possible by Brian Taylor, who had a very good game, when he pushed the ball through the middle to Murray who scored with a good shot. Brown then missed a splendid chance to further advance the score. Richards beat the centre half in the air, giving the inside left a clear run through the centre. He did the correct thing by lobbing it over the advancing goalkeeper's head but it went over the bar as well. The Walsall defence was sound, but Billingham scarcely looked an improvement on Jarman, who he had replaced.
Though the much publicised inside forward Emery showed some clever touches, Walls the former Barnsley goalkeeper and Shaw, the right half, were the Peterborough players who impressed most. Despite the club's position at the top of the Midland League and the number of league clubs they have beaten in the cup in recent years, one can hardly feel confident of their success in league football on this showing. As the programme said, they certainly do not deserve a place at Walsall's expense.
WEDNESDAY 19TH FEBRUARY, 1958
F.A. CUP FIFTH ROUND REPLAY AT THE HAWTHORNS, WEST BROMWICH
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 4 (Robson, Kevan 2, Allen pen) SHEFFIELD UNITED 1 (Dudley og)
Sanders; Howe, Williams; Dudley, Kennedy, Barlow (capt);
Griffin, Robson, Allen, Kevan, Horobin;
Hodgkinson; Coldwell (capt), Shaw (G); Richardson, Shaw (J), Summers;
Lewis, Howitt, Pace, Hawksworth, Hodgson;
The first half was goal less with the visitors the more impressive side, their defence being particularly brilliant, making the Albion attack look too slow and clumsy. Hodgkinson showed his England class with brilliant saves from Derek Kevan headers and Horobin sent in a terrific drive whit hit the underside of the bar, crashed down on the line and was scrambled away. It seemed as though Albion's powerful forwards would never get past Coldwell and the two Shaws, what a glorious performance these three put up.
The best United forward was Hodgson who played at inside right with Hawksworth at outside left throughout the game. However, as so often happens with Albion, once the first goal came, they come like a flood. Barlow to Kevan, Kevan to Robson just inside the area with two men closing in, but Robson managed to get in his shot and Albion were one up.
This was it! Within eighty seconds a brilliant combined move saw Griffin square the ball from the goal line to Kevan dashing in to blast it home. Albion were no interchanging positions, moving the ball rapidly from man to man and completely baffling the United defence. Horobin tore inside from the left wing and was just about to shoot when brought down. A penalty and despite Hodgkinson's acrobatic leap, Allen's fierce shot found the net.
Three goals in five minutes! Then the cheers turned to silence as Frank Griffin went down writhing in agony.
Trainers and ambulance men surrounded him for four minutes before he was carried off with a broken leg. But the game went on and Albion in a repeat of their ten men performance at Nottingham continued to dominate the game. Sheffield got a rather fortunate goal when Dudley prodded the ball into his own net.
Robson seemed to have come right into his own now, he was here, there and everywhere and made the fourth goal with a brilliant run at terrific speed through the entire United defence, his shot however was parried by Hodgkinson, but Kevan was again on hand to crash the ball home to bring an to proceedings.
MONDAY 3RD MARCH 1958
LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 0 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 2 (Carter, Penk)
Savage; Haddington (capt), Guttridge); Billingham, McPherson, Rawlings;
Moore, Hodgkisson, Murray, Richards, Taylor (B);
Barnsley; Robertson, Fulton; Williams, Wyatt, Barrett;
Anderson, Carter, Baker, Kearns, Penk;
Walsall's inability to score goals when dominating a game was once more well demonstrated tonight in their first league match under floodlights. Inside forward Murray was tried at centre forward but proved a failure. Walsall attacked strongly throughout the first half and Plymouth did not look like a team near the top of the table. Rawlings hit the post with a long range shot and an effort by Hodgkisson struck Barnsley's heel as he dived the wrong way.
As the second half progressed Plymouth came more into the game and Carter, their leading scorer, cut in from the right to shoot past Savage. The second goal came when Penk, the outside left , was allowed to cut in from the left to the edge of the are without being tackled and his shot seemed to surprise Savage, who dived too late. A feature of this game was the number of former West Bromwich Albion players on view. These were Barnsley and Carter for Plymouth and Haddington, Rawlings and Hodgkisson for Walsall.
SATURDAY 8TH MARCH, 1958
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMTPN
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 3 (Broadbent, Deeley, Mason) NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (White)
Finlayson; Stuart, Harris; Clamp, Wright (capt), Howells;
Deeley, Broadbent, Murray, Mason, Mullen;
Mitchell (S); McKinney, McMichael; Scoular, Stokoe (capt), Franks;
Hughes, Bottom, White, Curry, Mitchell (R);
Wolves seemed to be suffering from the after effects of their surprise cup defeat at Bolton and showed little incentive to go all out for the league championship which they lead by a comfortable margin. The first half was goal-less and Newcastle could easily have been in the lead but for more finishing, as Wolves reserve left half Howells and left back Harris both seemed out of touch.
Wright, as always, was in position when needed. When Broadbent did eventually put Wolves ahead with a shot which went in off the post, Newcastle equalised at once, Hughes the right winger raced past Harris again, shot past Finlayson and when Wright and Stuart collided on the goal line in blocking his shot, it left White with an easy tap in.
However, Wolves determination and stamina began to show and Deeley put them ahead, pushing home Broadbent's pass from close range. Mason scored a similar goal in the last minute. On this showing Harris and Muray and by no means obvious replacements for Byrne and Taylor in the England team. For Newcastle Scoular was as skillful as ever, if a little less nimble, and Franks looked a promising newcomer at left half.
WEDNESDAY 12TH MARCH, 1958
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT THE HAWTHORNS, WEST BROMWICH
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 (Charlton og) LEEDS UNITED 0
Sanders; Howe, Williams; Dudley, Barlow (capt), Drury;
Whitehouse, Robson, Allen, Kevan, Horobin;
Wood; Dunn, Hair; Cush, Charlton, Kerfoot (capt);
Meek, Peyton, Baird, O'Brien, Overfield;
Snow fell for most of the game and the white ground gave the floodlights added brilliance. Albion had young wing half 'Chuck' Drury playing his second league game. Leeds, a cosmopolitan side strangely described as Yorkshiremen in the press, included four Scots and two Irishmen, although in danger of relegation they produced some splendid football. Early on they nearly scored when Peyton, a recent acquisition from Ireland, pushed the ball past Sanders, only to see it lose some momentum in the snow giving Williams time to retrieve it from the goal line and gallop off upfield.
Albion then did most of the attacking for the remainder of the half, but their renowned inside trio could make little progress against Leeds' stalwart defence. Little Wilburn Cush completely dominated Derek Kevan and Charlton and Hair were both outstanding. The one flash of true Albion form produced the only goal of the game. Robson pushed the ball through cleverly to Allen whose fierce shot hit the post and rebounded to Charlton's foot. He tried to concede a corner, but unfortunately slammed straight into the corner of his own net.
The second half was all Leeds, playing very attractive football they came close to scoring on numerous occasions and in fact Baird, a prolific scorer for Airdrieonians, did get the ball in the net near the end but was given offside. The two wingers, Meek, small and nimble of foot, and Overfield, fast and direct, were the instigators of most Leeds attacks. The inside men however, could profit little from the chances made for them, mainly due to the splendid play of Albion' makeshift half back line, in which Barlow once again proved a most capable deputy for Kennedy at centre half. he stopped what seemed a certain goal when Kerfoot shot from the edge of the area with Sanders out of position.
Blocking the gall on the line he tapped it into Sanders' arms as he lay on the ground. The combined efforts of Williams and Sanders were need to push away one effort by O'Brien as it was trickling over the line. On this performance it will be unfortunate indeed if Leeds are relegated.
SATURDAY 15TH MARCH, 1958
LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 3 (Brownlee, Richards, Taylor (B)) EXETER CITY 0
Savage; Haddington (capt), Guttridge; Billingham, McPherson, Rawlings;
Moore, Faulkner, Brownlee, Richards, Taylor (B);
Hunter; Foley, McDonald; Harvey, Oliver, Mitchell (capt);
Stiffle, John, Calland, Nicholls, Dale;
Following their 4-1 victory over Coventry last Monday, in which Tony Richards scored a hat trick and helped by the introduction of Faulkner from Manchester City, Walsall showed much greater confidence than of late. Although still looking rather clumsy and slow, Brownlee scored a really splendid goal and went very near on two other occasions. Faulkner soon showed his ability as a ball player, but it was from a pass by Haddington which Brownlee headed down past the centre half, pushed it along with his left foot and cracked it coolly into the net with his right, that Walsall took the lead. They continued to dominate the play for the remainder of the first half and a move started by Faulkner ended in Richards turning Moore's centre past Hunter with his head. Half time 2-0.
In the second half , despite the advantage of the wind, Walsall did not continue their pressure and more was seen of Exeter's rather disjointed attack. Their most promising moves were initiated by the two wingers, Stifle, singed yesterday from Bournemouth and Gordan Dale, the former Portsmouth player. Dale, balding and slow, showed that he is still a great ball player, but his colleagues were unable to profit from his brilliance, mainly due to splendid defensive work by Walsall and also because of their own deficiencies.
Dale's inside partner was Johnny Nicholls, who was capped for England when with W.B.A., but away from Ronnie Allen's precision passing he is completely at a loss. His rise to fame was due solely to his knack of putting the ball in the net and his lack of any other footballing ability was plainly obvious. Billingham must get credit however for dominating him throughout.
Similarly, Harvey, the Exeter right half kept right on top of Richards, Walsall's danger man. Exeter were weak at full back, whereas Walsall were weak on the wings. Taylor did make amends for earlier mistakes when a centre cum shot floated into the far corner of the net, with the Exeter defence caught on the wrong foot, just watching it.
SATURDAY 22ND MARCH, 1958
SWINDON TOWN 2 WALSALL 3
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