Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 01 April 1932
Big Crowd Sees Drawn Final at Wath
Thurnscoe Dash Nearly Rewarded
Back’s Costly Error
Thurnscoe Victoria 2 Thorpe Hesley Victoria 2
One of the most remarkable Montagu Cup finals in recant years was fought out between Thorpe Healey Victoria and Thurnscoe Victoria at Wath on Saturday amid scenes of typical cup tie enthusiasm, Thorpe Hesley earning the right to play again by virtue of a goal scored ten minutes from the end. The score was 2-2.
The game had three distinct phases, the first lasting until Thurnscoe scored their equalising goal and almost immediately after took the lead, the second enduring till Thorne Healey scored their second goal, and the third comprising the last ten minutes of the game when Thorpe Henley might have snatched the victory.
In the first phase Thorpe Healey were definitely the better team. The methodical way in which they initiated their attacks always spelled danger and many of their combined movements were of a very high order, notably those developed on the left which Lowe and Hague played a prominent part. At this stage Lowe was the beat forward on the field and the Thurnscoe defence could not suppress him. It was due to his purposeful worrying that Thorpe Healey took the lead after 12 minutes. The ball was put into the Thurnscoe goalmouth and when Hopper tried to get it under control before clearing Lowe ran up and tackled him so that the ball rolled acmes to HAGUE who had wandered into the middle. The winger’s shot gave Nettleton no chance though it only rolled into the net.
It seemed that Thorpe Hesley would have little difficulty in winning after this, for the Thurnscoe forwards were very rugged and never looked like penetrating their opponents’ defence. However, the game underwent a sudden transformation in the 38th and 39th minutes, which left Thorpe Hesley a badly “rattled” side. A free kick cleverly placed, with due regard to the force of the wind, by Roberts enabled MACE to bustle the ball into the net in spite of Watson’s attempts to beat it out. Within a minute a neat cross front Jackson sent the ball to MACE again and turning with a speed which was surprising in view of his precious ponderous movements he drove the bull into the roof of the net.
There was little to choose between the teams after this. From the beginning Thurnscoe had shown small ability to combine and from this point Thorpe Hesley’s deft touches left them and their careful placing of the ball became only a memory. Sylvester, who had been a tower of strength all through, held them together at this stage and was kept busy by the Thurnscoe forwards who played with re-doubled enthusiasm even though they gave no signs of cohesive ability. Their favourite method of was for Mace to kick the ball up the field ostensibly with the hope that one of the other forwards would chase it and store. These tactics were doomed to failure from the start against fast backs in Brincliffe and Cooper and a goalkeeper who was if anything too quick to leave his goal.
Having effectively put Thorpe Hesley out of their stride there was no reason why Thurnscoe should not have held their lead; but for a deplorable blunder on the part of one of the backs who ten minutes from the end hampered Nettleton as he was clearing with the result that the ball was immediately returned when the back made the same error, jumping np to head it away when the goalkeeper could easily have cleared. Between them the back and goalkeeper somehow turned the hall through their own goal. Nettleton was in no way to blame. He gave faultless display throughout and made ninny fine clearances.
Thorpe Healey regained some of their confidence in the last few minutes and when Hollingsworth headedl against the crossbar they were unfortunate not to take the lead. Thurnscoe continued to make spasmodic raids, but if the game had lasted ten minutes longer Thorpe Hesley’s returning superiority might have been translated into victory.
The “gate” realised £107. The replay is at Wath on April 9th.