15 September 1947 Blackburn Rovers 1 Blackpool 1
A present from Blackpool
Blackburn Rovers 1, Blackpool 1
By “Spectator”
IT was Gift Monday at Blackburn yesterday. Blackpool gave Blackburn Rovers a point on everything except a gold plate at Ewood Park.
It became almost monotonous to record the raids of Stanley Matthews.
Time after time in the first half, playing for the first time for Blackpool on turf which gave a grip to the ball, he enticed a man to him, swerved away from him, seemed to walk past the next man, glided past a third, casually glanced up to find a Blackpool forward in a shooting position, and presented him with the ball.
"Now shoot it in” said Mr. Matthews. But nobody could shoot it in.
NO MARKSMAN
Every time the shot was hurried or the forward took such a long time to settle on the ball that a Rovers, half-back or full-back closed the gap. There was always Marks, too, an alert and at times brilliant, goalkeeper.
It should have been 3-0 or 4-0 at half-time.
The two understudies were among the headline names.
Twenty-two-years-old Andy McCall is a born footballer. Not only has he a shot-yes. he has a shot-and a body swerve which may become famous in football, but, small as he is, he will challenge the biggest of them, even big Bob Pryde, for possession of the ball.
IN THE THICK OF IT
Bill Lewis had one of those afternoons he loves. I saw him give lots of passes to Matthews, and in the second half, when desperation gave the Rovers a bit of punch, he was in the thick of it.
These two filled the gaps. But there was no Stan Mortensen the Second. If the centre had been out on this field instead of nursing a pulled thigh muscle on the line, something terrible might have happened to the Rovers’ goal average.
Result:
BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 (Godwin)
BLACKPOOL 1 (McCormack)
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