1 March 1947 Blackpool 0 Bolton Wanderers 1
WANDERERS THE WINNERS - AS USUAL
Blackpool’s game too close
Late goal shock
Blackpool 0, Bolton Wanderers 1
By “Spectator”
BLACKPOOL make a habit of seldom losing at Bolton. Bolton make a habit of never losing at Blackpool.
The Wanderers team, which entered on this match in a desperate quest for anti-relegation points, appeared with the knowledge that no team from Burnden Park had ever lost first or second division fixture on this ground since the long ago days before World War One.
There was an almost complete thaw out of the pitch, but in front of the south goal the snow was still crisp and firm.
Planking the north goal, in the full glare of the sun, were pools, almost miniature lakes, between the corner flags and posts.
The Wanderers in the end had to play Walter Hubbick, one of Blackpool’s wartime guests, when John Atkinson reported a septic scar. Howe appeared instead of Westwood at inside left.
There was not a completer sell out of the reserve seats in the centre and wing stands and the attendance when the teams appeared was less than 20,000.
Teams:
BLACKPOOL: Wallace, Shimwell, Sibley, Farrow, Hayward, Johnston, Nelson, Munro, Mortensen, Dick and Blair.
BOLTON WANDERERS: Hanson, Roberts, Hubbick, Gilies, Hamlett, Forrest, Woodward, Moir, Lofthouse, Howe and Wrigglesworth.
Referee: Mr. W. M. E. Evans (Huyton)
Until a few hours before the match it was uncertain whether either Sibley or Blair would be able to play.
Both had been kept indoors with chills during the week. If the full-back had been absent it would have been the first match he had missed this season
THE GAME
After a couple of minutes there was every sign that before the afternoon’s end three-quarters of the field would be a quagmire.
There was a long water polo tussle in the far corner the first time Blackpool made a zig-zag progress on the right.
Then, when at last the ball was lifted from this waterlogged area, Blair was slow to a back pass from Mortensen which halted in the slime in front of him.
Within a minute, the Wanderers had another escape as Dick pursued a pass which left him unexpectedly in front of the Bolton goal, where a ball which hit one of the Wanderer’s backs on the line cannoned out to Munro, whose fast, rising shot was parried by Hanson near a post.
LOFTHOUSE RAID
Then Nat Lofthouse, the centre-forward Blackpool were seeking a few weeks ago, raced after a skidding ball before Sibley and Johnston crossed his path and forced him to a standstill.
A minute afterwards, Shimwell made a grand interception of a pass which would have left Wrigglesworth in a shooting position.
The offside whistle was seldom silent. Three times in succession it put the brake raids before it went again as Wallace dived into the snow at the feet of Lofthouse with the Bolton centre-for forward chasing a forward pass.
Repeatedly, Dick and Mortensen raced after short, stabbed passes which Munro released to them.
Then Forrest, in another Bolton raid shot a ball which Wallace fielded from 30 yards out.
Twice Blackpool raised a howl for a penalty, as Mortensen and then Munro went catapulting into the slush in front of the Wanderers’ goal.
Twenty of the first 25 minutes had been almost monopolised by Blackpool.
Chances were few. It was difficult to make them on such a surface.
When one came at last the hall flew across the face of the Wanderers goal, where Dick hurled himself at it, missed it and tobogganed half a dozen yards.
The Wanderers were not as completely outplayed as they had been.
Blair came under the lash of the critics shortly before the half-time whistle, after a succession of passes had reached a left wing from which he was absent.
Yet this wandering forward can play grand football in spurts. Once, eluding three men, he swerved into a shooting position like a master before force of numbers halted him.
It had been 45 minutes’ hard labour for Dick. The inside-left had never been still, was constantly chasing the ball, and five minutes before half-time gave Mortensen a pass which came to a standstill in the marsh.
NEARLY A PENALTY
Grand clearances by Shimwell, who was playing with a new confidence, won a deserved cheer or two before the interval.
A succession of raids ended in an incident which might have cost Blackpool a penalty as Lofthouse was halted with a tackle which would have been permissible at Rugby but is not recognised in this code.
The Wanderers were no longer out of it. Yet in the last minute of the half Blackpool won two comers on the right, where Farrow was taking them this afternoon.
With less than half a minute to go, Wrigglesworth shot wide, with Blackpool’s right flank of defence wide open.
Half-time: Blackpool 0, Bolton Wanderers 0.
SECOND HALF
The Blackpool forwards were out of the thickest slime in this half but the defence were in it.
It was still anybody’s game. Shimwell surrendered a corner to the raiding Howe in the first minute of the half, which had nothing exciting in it afterwards until Mortensen went racing after Munro’s pass, and with it won a corner which was followed by another -Blackpool’s ninth of the match.
When this one was sliced the wrong side of the bar Hanson had actually to tee the ball up on the snow before he could take the goal kick.
Two minutes later, in the 10th minute of the half, the Wanderers came as near to a goal as either front line had ever been.
HAYWARD’S SAVE
There was a raid on the right. The ball was crossed from this quarter.
No man was near Lofthouse, and Wallace was out of his goal as the ball came unexpectedly to rest in front of the Bolton centre-forward.
HE SHOT AT THE GAPING NET. THEY WERE SHOUTING “GOAL!” AS HAYWARD APPEARED FROM NOWHERE AND HEADED OUT A FLYING BALL WHICH NEARLY STUNNED HIM.
Afterwards the Wanderers were flat out for minutes in' quest of a goal precious to the Burnden Park team.
Wallace made a great clearance from the shooting half-back Forrest in this sudden, relentless pressure.
Bolton’s raids afterwards contained greater promise because there were fewer short passes in them. Otherwise, there was little between two teams still trying to play some sort of football on a pitch which made it almost impossible.
With 22 minutes of the half gone only a desperate last-second tackle by Roberts halted the aggressive Mortensen in a sudden raid which produced Blackpool’s tenth corner.
TIME TO MASS
The defences were finding time to mass before the forwards could reach shooting distance.
In the next couple of minutes the Wanderers’ goal had a big escape as Hanson beat Munro’s centre out on to Roberts, off whose back the ball cannoned inches wide of the post of an empty goal.
That made corner No. 11 for Blackpool, who continued to attack afterwards, Farrow once forcing Hanson to a clearance from long range, with the forwards shooting less often than they should have done.
It was Farrow again who shot low into the Bolton goalkeeper’s arms from a free-kick.
- THEN IT HAPPENED
Eight minutes were left when the Wanderers scored a goal which nearly everybody despaired of ever seeing this afternoon.
Blackpool forfeited a free-kick a few yards to the left of the penalty area. Wrigglesworth crossed it to a pack of men.
One of these men, WOODWARD, who had wandered into the inside-left position, was standing unmarked. That cost Blackpool the goal.
All on his own, the outside-right headed direct from the kick a goal which may be worth a fortune at Burnden Park.
Result:
BLACKPOOL 0
BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Woodward 82 min)
COMMENTS ON THE GAME
THERE WAS NO OPEN CHEQUE FOR STOKE
By “Spectator”
No snow-plough was required. Except in two of the corners, the snow, which was six inches deep after the midweek blizzard, had thawed to less than an inch and in the goal areas there was only a thin film on the surface. A few ice-patches were melted rapidly by the pre-noon sun.
“It was deeper than this by an inch when we played Arsenal at Highbury last month,” reported Trainer Johnny Lynas.
The lines were painted in maroon. Even the penalty spot was encircled in this colour.
Jottings from all parts
BY "SPECTATOR" 1 March 1947
It makes him think that too many of the players don’t - or won’t - think for themselves. Yet this only applies, I’m sure, to the minority.
It was only during the last close season that Blackpool transferred him to the City with William Park, the centre-half. Now back at Gateshead, where he played during the war, he was in the team that lost at Carlisle last weekend.
There was a promise at one time that he would become Blackpool No. 1 outside-right. The war cut him off from the club for six years. Then it was too late.
Blackpool are not selling these second team men - or any others. An exchange of players - yes. Cheques - they are not interested.
An analysis of the City’s record at Maine-road last weekend revealed that in 16 games the City had won by one goal. In 15 of those games the defence was unbeaten.
He had a triumph that day against the two Blackpool Watsons - Albert and Phil. Neither could hold him. From his passes the ’Spurs scored their three goals in a 3-1 win.
THE Supporters’ Club hut is now open each Saturday before and after the home matches. Members or prospective members are invited to call there for information or to pass on suggestions they may have for the benefit of the club.
Leave a Comment