Erith & Belvedere   4          Southcombe 40, 104, Saunders 82, Scott 116

Romford                   2          Patterson 11, Osborne 52

FA Amateur Cup semi-final replay, 9 April 1938 (at Selhurst Park)

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, the epic pair of games that took us to the Amateur Cup final, coming back from two down twice.

 

On 2 April 1938 the Deres met Romford at Clapton Orient’s Brisbane Road ground in the FA Amateur Cup semi-final and went two down to goals in the 25th and 30th minutes before Bert Bennett (70th) and Pat O’Hara (88th) earned a replay.A week later the teams met again at Crystal Palace.

 

 

ERITH AND BELVEDERE REACH THE FINAL

Romford twice take the lead but collapse in extra time

 

Erith and Belvedere once again gave evidence of their great fighting spirit and staying power, by defeating Romford in the replayed Amateur Cup semi-final, at Selhurst Park, by 4-2.

 

As at Leyton, so at Selhurst.  The Deres were the first to attack, but after a few minutes it was Romford who assumed the offensive and to a great extent monopolised the play, the Essex attack being punctuated now and again by breakaways by the Deres.  It was for all the world as if the Deres were playing to the pre-arranged plan of allowing Romford to wear themselves out and then launching a stinging counter-attack.

 

Certain it is that when extra-time arrived Romford were a beaten team.  They had lost that extra bit of dash that hitherto had marked them as possible winners, their precise combination had gone and it was the Deres’ turn to show what combination, plus speed, could do.  Why did the Deres win?  Because, throughout the match, they kept their heads and refused to be rattled, sowing a confidence that had its moral effect on their opponents, especially the defence.  There were periods when the Romford backs were distinctly nervy; afraid to let their goalkeeper even see the ball because he was even more nervous than they were.  Consequently as the game progressed the Romford defence were kicking anywhere to ease the pressure.

 

Romford were certainly worth two goals, but the goals they got were lucky ones.  On the other hand their forwards missed several sitters – “nerves” again.  What luck there was in this game was, with one exception, with Romford.  Three times their goal was saved by sheer luck.  The exception was when a shot from Downing found Firminger out of goal and Fuller cleared from the line.

 

The game was watched by 13,391 people, who had value for the £779 8s 6d they paid.  The majority of the spectators undoubtedly favoured the Deres, and near the end, when the referee whistled for an offside against Southcombe, the fans, thinking the game was over, swarmed on to the pitch.  They were shepherded back again and soon after, the end arrived and once more they were on the pitch, “chairing” the victors.  One group included the Romford goalkeeper in their congratulations.  Poor Carter!  His feelings may be better imagined than described.  It was a fitting end to a sporting game that the Romford men gave the Deres warm handshakes and wished them success in the final.

 

Once again the Deres were not free from anxiety before the match.  Last week Scott had several teeth extracted and on top of this caught a chill, so that during the week he was far from well.  Then later in the week Gibbs fell a victim to flu and was unable to turn out.  Firminger deputised and did well.

 

Some critics think Romford’s second goal was due to a defensive error.  Such a statement is hardly fair, although the goal could be traced directly from a clearance by Firminger.  What happened was that the ball was punted up the field by the Romford defence, with Osborne racing after it.  The Deres’ backs quickly jumped back and let the ball go through to Firminger, who ran out and kicked it away.  It went to Thomas, who was unmarked in midfield, and he quickly passed it to Patterson, who swung it across the goal.  Firminger got his fingers to this cross, but could not push it away and so Osborne netted.

 

Patterson, Romford’s outside-right, was again the most dangerous winger, but in point of skill Scott was equally dangerous, and whenever he had the ball Romford were on tenterhooks – and invariably beaten by him.  He was the schemer of the Erith attack, but it was far from a one-man band.  All members of the team played well and, as stated, won because they kept their heads.

 

Romford took the lead after ten minutes’ play, the ball coming over from the left for Patterson to nip in and get his head to it.  Bennett made an effort to get to the ball, but just failed and obscured Firminger’s view, with the result that the ball just trickled into the net – a very lucky goal.  Previous to this Romford had forced a corner and Firminger had dashed out to punch away from Osborne.  The Deres went away with a rush, Carter stopping a high shot.  Before he could get rid of the ball, Southcombe charged in and knocked the ball out of the goalkeeper’s hands, but it just went wide of the goal.

 

Then came a really pretty movement.  Fuller stopped Downing and sent up to Scott, who feinted and beat two men before passing out to Young. The winger beat Sargent and centred, but Scott’s shot was wide of the goal.  At the Erith end Osborne ended a neat movement by losing the ball.  Then came the incident where Romford passed from man to man across the Deres’ goalmouth, drawing the defence and causing Firminger to come out to meet a centre from Patterson.  The ball reached Downing, who shot first-time, but Fuller got back and cleared from the line.  After this Firminger made two good saves, a low drive from Thomas being taken neatly and a rasper from Patterson being tipped over the bar.

 

At this stage the Romford forwards were showing an understanding that frequently brought dismay to the Deres.  Time after time one man would lift his foot and let the ball go to a better-placed colleague.  It was such a move that left Anderson with an open goal – and he sent the ball over the bar.

 

Saunders then got away on the Deres’ left, ending his run with a shot that completely deceived Carter.  The goalkeeper came across the goal, failed to secure the ball, but his body just brushed it against the post and so over the back-line.  Lucky Romford!

 

Time after time Scott worked the ball and the Deres got within striking distance, but Burchell was leaving nothing to chance, clearing first-time.  Young passed in to Bennett, who took careful aim, but Carter punched away.  Saunders ran in, but his volley went wide.  It was a good attempt though.  Little dropped the ball into the Romford area for Southcombe to head, but once again Burchell scrambled it away.

 

Five minutes from the interval Scott again worked the ball past the opposing half, going to the right, whence he swung the ball in.  Carter intercepted, but fumbled, and Southcombe, following up, put the Deres on terms.  Until half-time, the Romford defence had all they could do to prevent the Deres taking the lead, although from one clearance Patterson broke away and centred to Anderson, who headed over.

 

On the resumption Southcombe beat Sargent, but was in turn checked by Burchell, who conceded a corner.  Carter safely took Young’s corner kick and then, five minutes later, came the clearance which led to Romford again taking the lead. 

 

For some time the Romford vanguard pressed, the Patterson-Osborne combination making effort after effort to increase the Essex team’s lead.  Then Saunders was sent away on the Deres’ left, cut in and shot on the run.  Carter pushed the ball out to Young, who promptly banged it back into the goalmouth.  Burchell turned a somersault in making a great, but lucky, save.

 

Again the ball came through the middle, with Osborne in its wake.  The Romford man appeared to foul an Erith defender, but carried on and netted as Firminger advanced, but the goal did not count as the referee was pointing for a free-kick for the Deres.  Belvedere hearts again breathed more easily.

 

From this point the play was much more evenly divided, each forward line taking it in turn to launch dangerous-looking movements, but Romford were obviously cracking, playing for safety time after time.  Even their forwards on occasion were content to kick the ball over the side-line when tackled.

 

Ten minutes before the end came another sprightly Erith move, in which Southcombe and Saunders crossed on the move, the former taking the ball down the left to swing it across for Saunders to head in.  After this the Deres monopolised the play for five minutes.  Burchell was undoubtedly the saviour of his side in this hectic period, in which shots came in from Scott, Young, Southcombe and Beal.  Just before the end Smee lobbed the ball, and in attempting to clear Burchell headed it across his own goal, but no forward was close enough to take advantage, although a scramble followed, ending with a corner. 

Full-time: Erith and Belvedere 2, Romford 2.

 

Romford attacked strongly at the commencement of the extra period, Firminger being called upon several times, but it was a last despairing effort, for very soon the Erith men were making the running.  A long shot from Young just dropped on the wrong side of the bar, whilst Paviour nipped back just in time to stop Beal after Saunders had outwitted the backs.

 

Romford made another raid, Patterson swinging the ball across.  Firminger intercepted, stepped aside to avoid Osborne and cleared.  The Romford leader went full-tilt into the goalpost and was knocked out, but he soon came to and continued.

 

Both the Erith wings were doing good work, repeatedly drawing the Romford defence before centring.  From a pass by Saunders, Southcombe headed in, but Carter saved well.  The persistent pressure, however ,undermined Carter’s confidence and led to the error which completely broke the Romford morale.  Fuller dropped the ball into the goal area for Southcombe to head in.  Carter positioned himself to take the ball breast high, but Southcombe had nodded to earth and it went into the net through the goalkeeper’s wide open legs.  Erith and Belvedere 3, Romford 2.

 

Changing over once more, Romford made another strong effort, but quickly faded away, Fuller clearing to Saunders who crossed to Young.  Sargent, in a mad rush, kicked the Erith winger’s ankle instead of the ball, which went out of play.  A dangerous tackle, this, but as unintentional as it had been symptomatic of the state to which Romford had been reduced.  Carter was called upon several times after this, and it was evident that Deres had won the match, but all doubts were settled when Saunders turned the ball across to Southcombe, at the edge of the penalty area.  The centre-forward, facing his own goal, quickly turned, sidestepped Burchell and shot.  Carter dashed across and just touched the ball against the post and it spun over the back line.  From the corner Scott netted the fourth goal.

 

Erith and Belvedere: Tom Firminger; Joe Little and Pat O’Hara; Cyril Smee, Charlie Fuller and Bert Bennett; George Young, Len Scott, jack Southcombe, Reg Beal and Charlie Saunders.

 

Romford: A Carter; G Burchell and G Sargent; A Reeves, J Paviour and G Howlett; G Patterson, D Thomas, J Osborne, J Anderson and A Downing.

 

So the Deres reached their second Amateur Cup Final – and as you might imagine, we’ll cover that later in this series!