April 7, 1919
Match: Lancashire Section, Principal Tournament, at Turf Moor.
Burnley – Liverpool 5-3 (2-1).
Attendance: 8,000.
Referee: Mr. F.J. Proctor (Trentham).
Burnley (2-3-5): Jerry Dawson, Len Smelt, James Wilde, William Taylor, Tommy Boyle, Billy Watson, Bert Freeman, Dick Lindley, Sam Taylor, Bob Kelly, Billy Clarkson.
Liverpool (2-3-5): William Scott, Ephraim Longworth, Billy Jenkinson, William “Wullie” Paterson, Walter Wadsworth, Donald Mackinlay, Harold Wadsworth, John Miller, Billy Matthews, Harry Lewis, Albert Pearson.
The goals: 1-0 Lindley (25 min.), 1-1 H. Wadsworth (30 min.), 2-1 Kelly (44 min.), 2-2 Matthews (50 min.), 3-2 S. Taylor, 4-2 W. Taylor (85 min.), 5-2 S. Taylor (87 min.), 5-3 Matthews (89 min.).
Burnley’s smart win against former Cup opponents.
It is a long time since a game at Turf Moor aroused such enthusiasm as that on Monday night, when Burnley, after a magnificent hour and a half, beat their old-time Cup opponents by the tune of five goals to three, the heaviest scoring game of the season. Burnley rose to the demand of the time in brilliant fashion, and the crowd of about 8,000 spectators saw some of the most dazzlingly got goals that have been seen at Turf Moor for a long time.
That Burnley were fully entitled to their victory there is not the least doubt, for they were the cleverer of the two keen-witted teams, and both for their brainy scheming and their dashing opportunism they deserved every goal they got.
A great pace was set up at the beginning, and the wonder of it was that the sides lasted so well for the full time without a break. The Liverpool side weakened considerably towards the finish, but the fact that three goals were scored in the last five minutes of the game goes far to show how wholesale and how prolonged the excitement was.
In fact there was never a dull moment. Every second was crowded with life, quick movement, and virile passages where the constant order, and for quite a long period it was anybody’s game. The last few minutes of the first half seemed to change everything, for it was at that moment, when Kelly got what was one of the most brilliant goals imaginable, that the game passed into Burnley’s keeping. Even though Liverpool did for a second time after that draw level, Burnley had already asserted their superiority, and Liverpool were playing “with their tongues out.”
Clever forward work.
The visitors had the second position in the Lancashire Section to play for, but hey lose it to a superior side, in spite of the fact that Burnley’s forward line was largely experimental. Kelly, at inside left, played the game of his life, and good as Longworth always plays against Burnley, he had a good deal more to do than he probably anticipated.
Kelly was always about him, worrying and causing him anxiety, leading attacks with swift, straight and incisive moves, in which that wonderful body swerve of his always served to deceive, and never hesitating to shoot when a chance presented itself.
The chief beauty of his work, and that of the other Burnley forwards, was their open play, and very rarely were they guilty of holding on too long. They did not have it to themselves by any means, for the Liverpool men were very thrustful, whilst Lewis at inside left, more than once caused the Burnley spectators to gasp with some of his shots.
The exchanges were of the most spirited order, and excitement prevailed throughout the game brimful of thrills and fraught with surprises that very few games have provided this season. For a time it appeared that Burnley were going to be worthy of a point at least, but that they were going to fail. S. Taylor, an ex-Bradford Park Avenue, Huddersfield, and Rotheram player, who was being given a trial at centre, had struck the upright, and Boyle had failed to score from a penalty kick for hands against Miller, shooting straight at Scott, who got the ball away for a corner, and Freeman dropped one on to the net.
Freeman soon menaced again, drawing Scott out before placing to Lindley, who opened the score after 25 minutes. Kelly next fired in a ripping shot, which Scott just saved. The lead was not held long, for a shot by Lewis struck the bottom of the upright, and Wadsworth seized it as it went across, and equalised.
Few chances were missed of testing the custodians, and thrills were constant as both goalkeepers brought off brilliant saves. Kelly rounded of a ding-dong first half with a wonderfully-got goal, and Burnley crossed over leading by two goals to one.
Liverpool worked hard on the resumption, and in five minutes Matthews took advantage of a mistake by the Burnley backs and equalised. Scott completely missed a header by S. Taylor, but the ball rolled out of play, and after a fine save by Dawson, Freeman took a corner kick and S. Taylor got a lovely goal. H. Wadsworth put in a cross which struck the bar, Boyle partly cleared, but Dawson saved on a quick return, and after a very exciting tussle the ball went for a corner.
The last five minutes were full of incident, W. Taylor getting in with a long shot. S. Taylor put on the fifth from a centre by Clarkson, and following a corner kick by H. Wadsworth, Matthews scored the last goal. Final: Burnley 5, Liverpool 3.
The outstanding backs were Smelt and Longworth. The Burnley man gave a great exhibition, volleying powerfully and accurately and timing the ball well. The Burnley half-backs were all in good fettle, with W. Taylor outstanding. Freeman did very well at outside right and wasted few centres, whilst Lindley and S. Taylor gave good accounts of themselves. The latter is on the small side, but he was generally there when needed. Altogether the Burnley forwards and halves gave a better exhibition of placing than on many other occasions.
(Burnley News: April 9, 1919)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 