Report by SJG

CHESHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs RUNCORN

26^th August 1933

A SOLID START AS RUNCORN BEATEN.

Wigan Athletic opened the season in most auspicious fashion last Saturday, when they scored victories in both the Cheshire County League and the West Lancashire League, Runcorn being beaten 3-1 by the seniors at Springfield Park and the Reserves winning by 5-3 at Lancaster. Both games were calculated to test the new playing personnel this season, and in opening their League programmes with a “double” the Athletic justified the enthusiasm and support which awaited their initial efforts. Once again the football season opened in a blaze of sunshine and a soaring temperature which was trying to both players and spectators alike, but in the case of the former, at any rate, the opportunity served to reduce any accumulation of weight which the proceeding months of inactivity might have caused.

The attendance at Springfield Park was in the neighbourhood of 8,000, a figure which aroused the envy of the visitors even as it gave satisfaction to the home directors, whilst the game itself was interesting from start to finish since Runcorn put up a stout resistance, and made the home side go all the way for a hard-won victory. The honour of scoring the season’s first goal fell to Felton, the Wigan inside left, who put his side ahead after just six minutes’ play, but three minutes later the visitors equalised, and half time arrived with the issue still open. Snaith quickly restored the Wigan lead in the second half, and a later goal by Scott decided the destination of the points.

Athletics outstanding player on the day was Robinson, the left full back, whose whole-hearted defence was such a factor in foiling the Runcorn attacks, on at least two occasions he saved a certain score, and time after time he turned defence into attack by well-judged clearances. O’Dell was a useful partner but on one or two occasions he was rather easily beaten.  Caunce, however, was not allowed to remain idle and there were occasions when only his careful timing and judgement stood between Runcorn and a score. The crowd waited in vain for Harrison’s real form to show itself, he was slow and apt to be rushed off the ball. Occasionally he got a useful pass away, but the brunt of the work in the middle line was done by Kavanagh and Robson, who played tirelessly, and stuck to their opponents.  The Scott-Felton wing was always the more progressive and the more dangerous, but whilst Cowper played hard on the right, his partner Snaith was nursing an injury from the practice games, and also collected a fresh one which necessitated his temporary retirement and his resuming on the wing. Glidden gave the Runcorn defence several anxious moments and twice came within an ace of scoring.

Runcorn fielded a sound pair of full backs in Hallam and Burgess, both of whom did clever work, with Foxley a busy right half back. The visitors were strongest on the right wing and Robinson had a man’s job in looking after Valentine and Houghton, the latter especially packing a strong shot. Generally speaking, there was little to choose between the sides, but the slight superiority of the Athletic brought them the victory.

Both teams received a warm welcome ---in a double sense--- when they took the field.  Runcorn won the toss, but there was no advantage in the conditions prevailing. Indeed, the first pressure came from the home left, and in the opening minutes Glidden nearly scored when he lobbed the ball just over the Runcorn bar.  Six minutes sufficed to bring the first score, when Cowper put across a nice centre, Glidden headed to FELTON, and the latter clean beat Molyneux to put the Athletic ahead. The lead was only held for about three minutes, however, for the visitors rushed the home goal and VALENTINE, who had cut inside, scored in a general scramble. Unavailing efforts were made by Gliddon and Felton to restore the lead with useful shots, whilst similar efforts by the Runcorn right wing pair were frustrated by Robinson and Caunce.

A neat movement by Glidden, Felton, and Scott and a long cross from the latter promised something tangible but Cowper just failed to reach the ball in time to turn it home. Then Houghton slipped away and banged in a beauty on the run, only to see the ball flash by the outside of the goal. Later, Caunce made a grand save at the feet of Houghton, who was framing up for a point-blank shot, and there was another escape when Caunce missed a high dropping ball from Ashcroft, and Robinson kicked it out from the goal line.

Molyneux was bowled over yards from his goal, but Burgess filled the breach cleverly.  Caunce gathered a high shot from Ashcroft, and at the other end Felton essayed a flying header only to miss the ball and end in the net himself, injured.  He quickly resumed. Back and forth swung the play the defences having the game in hand and another thrill came near the interval when the Runcorn left wing got by O’Dell, and a great chance came to Stevens right in front of the goal. Robinson, however, hurled himself forward and succeeded in smothering the forwards shot.

Half Time; Wigan Athletic 1-1 Runcorn.

The game had only been re-started a couple of minutes when Kavanagh slipped a pass out to Cowper, who threw off a challenge by Appleton and centred the ball for SNAITH to score from a melee near the goal, thus placing Athletic in front once more. Next, Scott made a neat get-away after rounding Foxley, and cut inside near the goal line, Felton, Glidden and Snaith were ready for the expected short pass which would have found them in a grand scoring position, but neither got it as Scott preferred to try a shot at an almost impossible angle and all that accrued was a useless corner. Any one of the other three could have scored had he been given the expected pass. Molyneux was lucky to recover possession after he had beaten down a fast shot from Felton, no Wigan player being near enough to snap up the sudden chance at the loose ball.

At this stage the Athletic did practically all the attacking, and a passing move by Felton and Scott, a persistent pair, left the inside man positioned for a shot; out came Molyneux, however, to narrow the angle, and he succeeded in stopping the ball just as the whistle signalled a Wigan forward offside. Then came Snaith’s departure; he had been limping for some minutes, and now he went to the dressing room for attention. During his absence the Athletic scored again; this time Robson started the movement, which was taken up by Glidden, Felton and SCOTT, the latter slipping inside with the ball, and taking steady aim, he clean beat Molyneux. It was a nicely worked goal.

Robson nearly caught Molyneux napping with a high free kick, and just as Caunce saved a long shot from Valentine, Snaith returned after an absence of eight minutes, he went to outside right, Cowper moving inside. A long punt by Foxley passed through the home backs to Ashcroft, who lost a chance to score by turning the ball behind. Harrison got a long pass to Scott, whose centre enabled Glidden to shoot but Burgess deflected the ball’s flight. Stevens retired with a cut brow, and during his five minutes absence, a corner kick by Snaith ended in Felton heading inches wide.

Full Time; Wigan Athletic 3-1 Runcorn.

Scorers; Felton (6), Snaith (47), Scott (57); Valentine (9);

Attendance; 8,000

Team; WIGAN---Caunce; O’Dell, Robinson; Kavanagh, Harrison, Robson; Cowper, Snaith, Glidden, Felton, Scott.

RUNCORN; Molyneux; Hallam, Burgess; Foxley, Alderman, Appleton; Valentine, Houghton, Vaughan, Stevens, Ashcroft.

Referee; Mr. J W Tilston (Chester)