Match Report – 20/04/1918

EVERTON BASKING

April 19, 1918. The Evening Express

By CRI

The Goodison Park men will be basking in the breeze at Southport and will have plenty of time to do it unless the Central can muster some sterner opposition than they have shown themselves capable of lately. Having reached the third place only in the competition proper, the “Blues” are apparently making a serious bid for the “junior” title as they will have a very strong side out it boardroom intentions can he carried through. The teams may line up as follows; Everton; Mitchell; Robinson, Stott; Fleetwood, Wareing,Grenyer; Wadsworth, Jefferis, Gault, Clennell, Donnachie
Southport; Capper; Dorward, Stanfield; Garner, Sheldon, Smith; Eacock, Caulfield, Gardner, Brew, Burke.

EVERTON AWAY

April 20, 1918. The Liverpool Echo

F.E.H. Describes Game at Southport

Everton; Mitchell, goal; Collins and Robinson, backs; Fleetwood, Wareing and Grenyer, half-backs; Wadsworth, Jefferis, Gault, Clennell, and Donnachie, forwards. Southport Central; Capper, goal; McDonald and Stansfield; Wilson, Fay and Seape, half-backs; Eacock, Gardner, Geddes, Sheldon, and Burke, forwards. Referee; Mr. H. Rylance, Earlestown. Having won so easily last week at Goodison Park, Everton were expected to win handsomely today at Ash-Lane, because the away side was strengthened by the inclusion of Wareing and Donnachie. The obsequies of Southport Central’s season was solemnly celebrated under somber and coloured clouds that slipped dismally, and there was only a handful of spectators principally of wounded soldiers at Ash Lane. Everton had practically the same team as at Goodison Park a week ago, but Southport had two or three alterations. It was well after half-past three when Southport started against the breeze on a nice, yielding turf. Everton were immediately busy on the right, and Wadsworth passing smartly to Jefferis the latter forced a corner. This was well placed, but Grenyer nullified the advantage by sending wildly high over the bar. The visitors returned again on the right. Fleetwood being the initiatory force, but was finally at fault and a promising movement came to nothing. It was some time before the home forwards found their feet so to speak, but even when they moved off on the left wing they were checked with comparative case, and the Evertonians were again hammering the home defence. Wareing served up with judgment and after Clennell had miskicked, Gault put in a wonderfully fine shot which Capper deflected from the net at the cost of a corner.
Gault Scores further aggressive operations on the part of the visitors kept both Stansfield and McDonald on tender hooks, and both the backs were fairly beaten when Gault called in between them and saved with a fast shot. Prior to this, I should have mentioned Clennell had experienced hard luck with a drive that struck the upright. As the game progressed Everton became obviously more and more masters of the situation and the Central goal was subjected to one long continuous bombardment in which the visitors should have scored half a dozen times in as many minutes. As it was, Wadsworth lifted the ball high over the bar, Clennell drove yards wide and Grenyer from long range propelled the leather almost on to the sky line.
Quick Scoring
The Southport halves strove strenuously to resume the venues but they rarely permitted to get over the centre line, and Everton’s superiority was emphasized when Wareing coming through the rock drove the ball past Capper with telling force. There was at length a refreshing interlude when Geddes got through and looked like scoring, but he was pulled up by Robinson and the visitors resumed their campaign of aggression. They forced yet another corner, and from this Clennell netted with characteristic accuracy. Southport’s cup was now full, but the wearers of blue jersey were without compassion. They came through again in combined order, and Jefferis with something of his old-time skill in commanding the ball, registered a fourth goal with a slanting shot that left Capper helpless. There followed another sustained attack on the home goal, but sheer reckonness in shooting robbed the visitors of additional points and they had palpably eased up when Burke was permitted to get away, only he send the ball wide. Another breakaway by Southport left proved futile and just before the interval a better attempt on the part of Burke and Sheldon to get through was spoiled by the timely interference of Collins. The home right wing then made ground creditably, and from a pass by Eacock, Geddes was well placed when he headed wide of the mark. Half-time; Southport 0, Everton 4
Comments
Comments on the first period of the game would be simply superfluous. Frankly, there had been only one side in it, and Everton’s toll of goals might easily have been doubled. The brutal truth is that Southport were hopelessly outclassed. In racing parlance they had never seriously “raised a gallop.”
Second Half
Turning round the visitors at once resumed the merry game of harassing their opponents. The three inside forwards closed in with almost clock-work precision and after Jefferis had skied the leather over the woodwork Clennell followed suit with an equally erractic effort. It became increasingly apparent that Fleetwood and his colleagues were merely toying with their antagonists for the half-backs no began shooting on their own account, and the flying sphere was more frequently in the air than on the turf. Wilson once opened up a prompting movement but Gardner failed to profit by it, and the later stages of the contest remained in favour of the visitors.
Goals Scorers
Gault scored for Everton
Wareing scored a second for Everton
Clennell scored a third for Everton
Jefferis scored fourth for Everton

EVERTON WIN

April 22, 1918. Evening Express

By CRI

Southport did not provide Everton with very strenuous opposition, and the Central have the unenviable record of going through the small competition without securing a single point. Indeed they have only scored one and yielded 23 goals.

OVERCAME CENTRAL AND GROUND

April 22, 1918. The Liverpool Echo

Bee’s Sports Notes

Everton took four goals and offered none in return. The result was not surprising. Here is F.E.H.” brief comment on the game;-
The Evertonians completed their regular season with a runaway victory over Southport Central at Ash-Lane. They beat the Sand-grounders in the hollowest of fashion by four clear goals –all registered in the first half and this margin might well have been an largely had the wearers of the blue jersey cared to rub it in. The match was so one-sided that it was scarcely be considered seriously. The successful Everton sharp-shooters Gault, Wareing, Clennell and Jefferis that last named’s effort being a beauty.
Liverpool win the Subsidiary Competition on goal average over Everton.