Erith & Belvedere   5          Mann 35, Southcombe 37, 82, Urpeth 71,  Scott 80

Hayes                        1          Marchant 28   

London Senior Cup semi-final, 11 March 1939 (at Wimbledon)

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, a decisive semi-final win which set up a massive match.

 

As the war clouds gathered in the early months of 1939, the Deres were involved in an enthralling pair of cup runs.  In the Kent Senior Cup we won 6-5 at Lloyd’s Paper Mills (as covered earlier in this series) then beat Dartford’s Southern League side 1-0 before coming unstuck to the tune of 7-2 against Tunbridge Wells in the semi-final at Maidstone.  In the London Senior Cup we won 3-1 at Finchley in December mud which was “over the players’ ankles”, then had a second-round tie v Leyton abandoned when one of the linesmen could no longer identify the touchline!  The replayed game ended in a 6-5 extra-time win, the week before the Lloyd’s game with the same scoreline.  We beat Leavesden 2-1 in the third round, which took us to this big game at Plough Lane…

 

DERES IN FINAL – Semi-Final Victory over Hayes

 

Erith and Belvedere, by beating Hayes 5-1 in the London Senior Cup semi-final at Wimbledon on Saturday, qualified to meet Dulwich Hamlet in the final.

 

There was hardly the difference between the teams that the score would suggest,, yet Erith had an all-round supremacy which gradually turned the game in their favour.  There was a ten-minute spell in the first half and another period after the interval when the Hayes defence faltered badly, and it was in these periods that the damage was done.  Of the Erith forwards, Scott and Southcombe were splendid, the captain’s wizardry repeatedly upsetting the Hayes halves.  Mann combined effectively with Urpeth, but was mainly a bustler, while the winger was inclined to rely too much on the one method – down to the flag, draw back and centre.  Young, at outside-right, was the weakest of the forwards.

 

Beal got in plenty of work at left-half and was always ready to combine with his forwards, whilst Smee was also good, but he spoilt his play by one or two silly fouls.  He really must try to overcome this temperamental weakness, otherwise instead of getting a polite remonstrance from the referee he may receive severer punishment.  Drew, at centre-half, completely bottled up Friday, the dangerous Hayes centre-forward, but his clearances all too frequently went to one of the Hayes halves.  Fortunately they were anything but sound.

 

O’Hara and Bennett were a pair of sound backs, with the former the better of the two, his anticipation being excellent, whilst in the last line was the ever-brilliant Barron, who made several great saves in the early stages of the game when the Hayes forwards were at their best.

 

Forward, Hayes were well served by their wingers, but although Farrow was the most dangerous and speedy winger on the field, it was Marchant who scored Hayes’ only goal.  The inside men were kept well in check by the Erith halves.  Hayes lost the match because their half-backs were no match for the wily Scott, bustling Mann and skilful Southcombe, whose rapid moves down the middle often caught the Hayes defence in two minds.  Hayes’ backs were strong and cleared their lines well, but had too much to do, whilst Greygoose in goal had every incentive to keep awake.  He was not as good as his opposite number.

 

Conditions were far from ideal, a cold drizzle falling throughout the first half and making the surface slippery, whilst the light was bad, a fog hanging over the ground.  No doubt the slippery turf and greasy ball had much to do with the miskicking, as it had with several of the fouls which were obviously unintentional, but the referee was taking no chances and kept a tight rein on the players.

 

The game abounded in thrills and 3,081 spectators had full value for their money.

 

Scott won the toss and in the first minute Mann put the ball through, but Southcombe just failed to draw it after him and Richards sent Farrow away, but the Hayes outside-right was checked by Drew.  Again the Deres came down, Urpeth feinting past Scully before passing in to Scott, who cleverly beat Richards but was then unlucky with a ball which slid off his foot.

 

When the ball came in from the right Scott found his way barred and stepped aside to let the ball run to Urpeth, but his shot was blocked by Ward.  After this the Hayes forwards settled down, Farrow repeatedly making the running, outpacing O’Hara.  Indeed, for some time it seemed that the Erith goal must succumb to these raids, yet O’Hara, Drew and Bennett were imperturbable.  Barron came into the picture when he fielded a dropping shot from Reeves.

 

A free kick after Bennett had heavily charged Middleton again put the Erith goal in danger, the ball going to Farrow, who beat O’Hara and lobbed to Scully, whose shot went a few inches wide.  An Erith attack having been beaten back, Friday passed to his right, O’Hara heading to put Farrow onside.  Drew overhauled the winger and conceded a corner, from which Barron jumped to make a good save and not long after this he fisted away from Marchant.  A rapid run by Marchant, who crossed to Farrow, looked dangerous but Barron saved the outside-right’s half-volley.

 

Not long after this Farrow lobbed into the goalmouth, Barron leaping to push the ball away.  It went to Chudley, but he missed the chance of a lifetime by sending the ball over the bar.  Again Farrow got away, but Barron raced out to take the ball off his feet.  In making this save Barron hurt a hand and whilst he was massaging it a shot came in from Middleton, but he fisted this away.

 

Two attacks by the Erith men were beaten back before Smee got the ball through to Scott, who rounded Gibson and sent in a low one for Greygoose to save, and then the ball came out to Marchant, who eluded Bennett and went on to send in a swerver which entered the net via the far upright, after 28 minutes’ play.  Soon after this Friday secured from a weak clearance and sent out to Farrow, whose shot hit the bar, after which Barron cleared.

 

Then came a brilliant bit of work by Scott, who beat three men, taking the ball out to the right.  Hemmed in at the flag, he nevertheless got it across and Southcombe, when challenged, let the ball go to Mann, who equalised.

 

Two minutes later the Deres took the lead, O’Hara clearing to Urpeth who crossed to Young.  The latter was unmarked and should have scored, but he miskicked badly.  However, the ball went to the middle of the goal area, and the Hayes backs, caught in two minds, saw Southcombe nip between them and score.  Erith remained in the ascendant until the interval, when Erith and Belvedere led 2-1.

 

After the change of ends the Hayes forwards again set up a strong attack, Friday wit a neat twist sending the ball to Middleton, whose shot was just wide of the goal.  Southcombe and Urpeth made good attempts to increase the Erith lead before Marchant again broke away on the Hayes left and got in to goal, but Barron, timing his rush well, advanced and robbed him, as he did five minutes later.

 

Meantime the Erith forwards had been well held by the Hayes backs, but in the 26th minute Southcombe, Scott and Urpeth were concerned in a bright movement, which ended with the winger nipping in from the wing to increase the Erith lead.

 

The Erith forwards kept up a persistent pressure after this, the Hayes backs being sadly overworked because their half-backs were outwitted time after time.  The ball was taken out to the right by Southcombe, and despite a slip on the greasy turf he managed to retain the ball and crossed to Urpeth, who promptly returned it to the middle.  Southcombe had run in but was intercepted by Gibson, but Scott secured and scored the surprise goal of the match.  How he got between the backs was a mystery, but there was no question of the clever way in which he flicked the ball to the angle of the goalposts, well out of the goalkeeper’s reach. 

 

Two minutes later Southcombe, receiving from the right, quickly turned and drove the ball into the net, again taking the Hayes defence by surprise.  Erith were definitely on top in the remaining few minutes.

 

Erith and Belvedere: George Barron; Bert Bennett and Pat O’Hara; Cyril Smee, Ernie Drew and Reg Beal; George Young, Len Scott, Jack Southcombe, Harry Mann and Jack Urpeth.

Hayes: W F Greygoose; J W Ward and N Gibson; J Scully, J Richards and A G Reeves; H Farrow, A Chudley, J Friday, B Middleton and G Marchant.

 

 

The crowd of 3,081 at Wimbledon was impressive given the counter-attraction of an England v Scotland amateur international at Dulwich which drew a crowd of 18,000.  Dulwich Hamlet were to be the opposition in the Final on 13 May at The Den, which will feature later in the series.