After a series of successes St Albans City came a cropper on Saturday going under to Rickmansworth in the County League by no less than eight goals to three. For over three matches City had not tasted defeat, but they had it with a vengeance on Saturday. The team was entirely off colour and was beaten at every point, although Rickmansworth did not deserve to have victory by such a margin.
By the opening stages it seemed as if the City were in for another victory, but the first goal against them and one or two unfavourable decisions by the referee seemed to entirely put the players off their game and the team fell away completely. Energy seemed to leave the players and again and again the visitors were allowed to take unlimited liberties.
But it was not the full City team that was defeated. Besides the absence of Noel from the centre-and the loss by his absence is more obvious in every match-Butcher was also absent. He was greatly missed for although Morrison, who took his position, played very well indeed, in fact gave the best exhibition we have yet seen him give, his work was not nearly so effective as Butcher’s. Price, the right half, was another absentee, he, like Butcher, being with the reserves in their cup-tie.1 He was also greatly missed. There played in his place A.Wiggs2 who but two or three seasons ago was playing among the local schoolboy teams and later with Abbey United. Wiggs played a consistent game and showed undoubtedly that he has qualities, but he was out of his class.
None of the City players were really weak, but they were all – that is, those of the regular first team – much below par. Chapman, at left half, was the only exception, but what is one among many? The very medium display by the home defence was probably the greatest surprise. Kerrison, since his first match at South Weald, has not had a lot of work to do in goal and on Saturday there was a change. He was for once given a busy time and it must be said that he did not rise to the occasion and hardly came up to expectations. Some of the eight goals against him could not have been saved, but others might have been better met – much better.
Patrick and Thomas have always been reliable at back, but as the game on Saturday wore on confidence in them went to a low ebb, for in many situations they were badly beaten. Hosier was very good on the wing, but his efforts had little support.
The game was not, as the score might suggest, all in favour of the visitors, but throughout was fairly evenly divided. Half of the visitor’s goals were scored from breakaways and, at the other end, although the City pressed hard they found the “Ricky” backs to be far from rickety, in fact they found them very strong and steady. The visitors, too, had a fine trio of halves and the forwards were much too fast and tricky for the home halves and backs. The “Ricky” forwards were dead nuts on goals, especially Hughes, who played for the County a fortnight ago and W.Galley who got four of the goals. The referee came in for a good deal of abuse for his decisions, especially on two occasions when the City netted the ball and were not always allowed goals. The first was from a centre by Hosier when Walker headed in. The referee did not allow a goal and placed the ball for an offside kick against Walker. The referee seemed to be the only one to think Walker offside. On the other hand Hosier centred the ball from over the touch line and if the referee had given a goal kick the decision would have been fair.On another occasion Walker netted and was ruled offside when, to many, he appeared to be well in play.
Reprinted from “The St Albans Post 24th March 1909
1 City Reserves beat St Michaels 2-0 In the Bingham-Cox Cup semi-final.
2 Arthur Wiggs died during the Great War on 24th April 1917. He was 24 years of age. |