To score seven goals on an opponents ground and then suffer defeat is galling enough. But this was the heartbreaking fate which befell the Citizens in the replayed Cup tie at Champions Hill on Wednesday. It was a thrilling and exciting encounter which concluded so dramatically that the better side lost by the very last kick of the game. This game will be talked about in future years as the most remarkable in the annals of the game. So far as can be traced there has been no instance of a team locked in a game of football and losing by the odd goal in fifteen!!.
The feature that stood out in the most remarkable encounter was the amazing performance of Wilfred Minter who scored all seven of the Citizens goals, He played the game of his life by eclipsing not only his own record of four goals in a game but also records nationally. It is impossible to find a parallel to Minter’s achievement in a Cup tie. Some forty years ago D Weir got all eight goals scored by Halliwell against Notts County and Jimmy Ross junior scored seven goals for Preston North End against Stoke. On both occasions both Weir and Ross were playing on the winning side.
Two hours of continuous excitement is the best description that can be given for the game which was fought at a tremendous pace. Many of the players on both sides exhibited wonderful stamina. There was such clever and stylish football on display. The Citizens did the greater part of the attacking. Their combination reached a high standard it being the best that they had attained for many a long day. Their passing was not only pretty to watch but it was far more skilful than that of the homesters who relied on the more dashing attacks of the usual cup-tie order.
Minter led the line well and, as an individual, displayed excellent ball control. He was more alert and was always just where he was supposed to be. Always ready to try a shot at goal. His marksmanship was excellent. He owed much of his success to the splendid support rendered by H S Miller whose footwork and an ability to hoodwink the Dulwich defence and make openings for his colleagues was delightful. Harold Figg, who took the place of Bert Butcher at outside right, had endless dash and had great success with his clever dribble. It was his forcefulness that aided the attack more than anything else was. The
Citizens had the advantage in the half back line. Here Bird alone excelled above all the other middle men in the match. His headwork was another outstanding feature of the game. His defence work was invaluable while he vied with George Meagher in the matter of pushing the ball to his own attackers in a most advantageous way. The excellent feeding of the halves helped the forwards in the development of the splendid combination that, at times, completely baffled the Hamlet’s fine defence.
WHERE DULWICH EXCELLED
Rearguard superiority and sheer bad luck neutralised the Citizens attacks. Both sets of full backs were erratic and the St Albans pair were marginally less successful than Brooker and Goodliffe for the Hamlet. The combination of the home forwards were not as formidable than that of Minter and his colleagues. Each side had to field a deputy in goal. In that matter Dulwich were more fortunate than St Albans City. Dulwich were able to call on Williams who is a goalkeeper of Isthmian League experience. Whereas St Albans had to make the experiment of playing Alf Fearn, a half back who has captained St Albans Gasworks, in goal. Williams had three times as much work to do than Fearn. He made two mistakes but more than atoned for these errors by stopping powerful shots that could have done credit to Coleman. On the other hand Fearn, who did his best in what was an unaccustomed position for him. He lacked that experience which might have enabled a man who plays between the sticks regularly to have averted three or four of the homesters goals. Particularly from corner kicks which Hamlet turned to their account. St Albans, it must be said, suffered from poor refereeing. Extra time only resulted from a goal from a corner kick. The corner kick being insisted upon by a linesman after the referee had signalled a goal kick. During extra time St Albans should have been awarded two penalties for bad fouls on Minter which seemed to be noticed by everyone except the referee. The circumstances from which Dulwich won the game were unsatisfactory and everyone, including Brooker, their captain, sympathised with the Citizens in the manner in which they lost the match. If merit had met its reward they would have been he victors instead of the vanquished.
THE GOAL SCORING BEGINS
(Brummies note. After each goal I will give the score with Dulwich’s score first)
Fortunes fluctuated fast and furiously for both sides. The first quarter of an hour was goalless. This was mainly due to the smartness of Williams more than anything else was because the Citizens did almost all of the attacking during this period. Williams was very alert to turn two very good hot shots around the post from Minter. He also gathered up a shot from H S Miller. Later Miller also shot over the bar. As was the case in the first game Dulwich’s first raid produced the first goal. In the15th minute KAIL headed into the Citizens net from a corner (1-0).
In the next quarter the Citizens claimed three goals. In the 18th minute Meagher was fouled and when his free kick went into the penalty area it was cleared. Meagher played it back again and Miller headed against the bar. When it rebounded out MINTER shot the ball home (1-1). The second goal came about when Meagher sent the half backs Figg and Pierce on the attack. Figg sent a perfect cross over from the left for MINTER to head home (1-2). A minute later a great bout of passing between H S Miller and Minter resulted in Miller crossing for MINTER to score with a fast cross shot to complete his hat trick. (1-3)
Thus, with half an hour played the Citizens led by three goals to one. But, by the interval, Dulwich were on level terms. In the thirty second minute a long pass to Hunt caught the St Albans defence up in a tangle. When the outside left centred Field jumped to try to head the ball clear but misjudged the ball which fell to the feet of KAIL who shot hard and low into the corner of the net from close range (2-3). The Citizens began to press strongly with Minter having a drive caught by Williams and a header from Figg was cleared. Pierce was brought down “rugby style” by Goodliffe. The energy of Kail enabled Dulwich to draw level just before half time. A long centre fell behind the City backs and Kail stopped the ball as it was going out off play and centred again for DAVIS to rush it into he net (3-3) at half time.
Half Time Dulwich Hamlet 3 (Kail 2, Davis) St Albans City 3 (Minter 3)
Within seven minutes of the restart, by scoring twice in quick succession, Dulwich appeared to have the game won. In the second minute after resuming Hunt forced a corner off Holland. When the corner kick came over DAVIS headed through (4-3). Five minutes later Shorrocks swung the ball into the goalmouth and Fearn and Nichol jumped together and Fearn, the goalkeeper, was knocked out as the ball was headed against the bar. Whilst Fearn was still on the ground DAVIS forced the ball into the net. Fearn was able to resume after some treatment (5-3)
A ST ALBANS REVIVAL
Leading by two clear goals it seemed as though Dulwich Hamlet had the game won. St Albans began to display a more aggressive approach. However, by the end of the first quarter of the second half the score was still 5-3. Then within ten minutes Minter obtained three more goals to take St Albans into the lead. The whole context of the game had changed. In the sixteenth minute of the half Meagher began a movement which resulted in Minter putting Figg through. The inside right struck a shot which hit the inside of the post and rebounded out to MINTER who promptly netted (5-4).
The Citizens raids were swiftly carried out and, at times, overwhelmed the home side. In an exciting scramble around the Dulwich goal Williams saved on the ground from Figg and pushed a shot away for a corner from Holland. In the twentieth minute of the second half St Albans drew level. Minter and Miller rushed their away into the Dulwich half of the field with some fine headwork. The ball came back to MINTER who brought it to his feet and crashed the ball into the net with some force (5-5). Soon after this H S Miller only just missed the target with a fine ground shot. Five minutes after drawing level the Citizens forged ahead. Minter, with the ball, forced his way through the Dulwich defence and was fouled badly. The ball ran on and was returned in Minter‘s direction. MINTER sprang to his feet and hooked the ball over Williams (5-6).
Thus, with twelve minutes to go, the Citizens were leading by six goals to five. For the majority of the time left they had the better of the play. Williams saved well from Figg and Holland. H S Miller, with only Coleman’s deputy to beat from close range, should have settled the issue but, in getting his foot under the ball, he shot over the bar. The Citizens remained in the lead until five minutes from the end of normal time. When Hunt tackled Holland and the ball went behind thee referee gave a goal kick. The linesman intervened and, after a short discussion, the referee changed his mind and gave a corner kick. When the corner kick came over NICHOL headed into the net. (6-6).
End of normal time
Dulwich Hamlet 6 (Davis 3, Kail 2, Nichol) St Albans City 6 (Minter 6)
TOO MUCH EXTRA TIME?
Six goals each was the score when the ninety minutes were concluded. Although the light was beginning to fail extra time was played. For the first ten minutes of this part of the game St Albans did the attacking, In the tenth minute a free kick was played into the Dulwich goalmouth. The ball was heftily cleared down field and was gathered by KAIL who was standing on the halfway line. He sprinted clear at great pace. He tricked Holland and made for goal. He sent in a ground shot that Fearn got to but allowed to slip through his hands and into the net (7-6).
During the second quarter hour of extra time St Albans made the pace. Williams saved two shots from H S Miller and when Minter twice looked a certain scorer he was fouled. The Citizens cries for a penalty went unheeded. On the first occasion Minter had only the goalkeeper to beat and Goodliffe brought off another rugby tackle without being penalised. The second instance was when Minter had eluded him Goodliffe fetched him down in the goalmouth. In the darkness that incident escaped the notice of the referee. With four minutes to go H S Miller forced a corner which was also taken by him. He found MINTER from the kick who scored with a neat header. (7-7).
It seemed as though the teams would have to fight another day but there was a dramatic finale to this great game. When, according to the clocking of the majority of the pressmen present, the game should have been terminated, play was still in progress on the touchline in the Citizens half and not far from the corner flag. The linesman alleged that Figg had handled the ball. The free kick was lobbed into the goalmouth and in the darkness Fearn misjudged the ball and DAVIS headed through (8-7). Thus it was Dulwich Hamlet who go through to the next round to entertain Clapton.
Both Pierce and R B Miller, who pluckily turned out with a damaged shoulder, played excellently. In addition to the players already referred to, Holland was very successful when he figured at right half. He changed with Webdale and Webdale was visibly tiring after ninety minutes. Kail was the mainstay of the Dulwich Hamlet attack. Hunt played the best from the providers point of view. Jones set out to shadow Minter but never had a chance of getting close to the Citizens centre forward. Both Broker and Goodliffe were steady and in Goodliffe’s case was sometimes a little too rough.
Full Time
Dulwich Hamlet 8 (Davis 4, Kail 3, Nichol) St Albans City 7 (Minter 7)
Team
Alf Fearn, Arthur Webdale, W Field, Fred Holland, Percy Bird, George Meagher, P Pierce, Harold Figg, Wilfred Minter, Harold Miller, Reuben Miller. |
