Saturday, January 11 – 1941
Match: Lancashire Cup, First Round – Second Leg, at Goodison Park, kick-off: 15:00.
Everton – Liverpool 4-1 (2-1).
Attendance: 4,479; gate receipts: £218 18s. 7d.
Referee: Mr. G. Twist (West Houghton).
Everton (2-3-5): Ted Sagar, Willie Cook, Norman Greenhalgh, Joe Mercer, Tommy Jones, E. Jones, Arthur, Stan Benthan, George Jackson, Alex Stevenson, Walter Boyes.
Liverpool (2-3-5): Sam Bartram, Robert Stuart, Arthur Owen (Tranmere Rovers), Ray Lambert, Arthur Turner, Eddie Spicer, Berry Nieuwenhuys, Bob Paisley, John Shafto, George Paterson, Billy Liddell.
The goals: 0-1 Shafto (15 min.), 1-1 Jackson, 2-1 Jackson, 3-1 Jackson, 4-1 Jackson.
When Everton learned that Lawton was not available for the return Lancashire Cup-tie with Liverpool at Goodison Park they decided upon a daring experiment that of playing Jackson, their full back at centre forward. I thought at the time they could have made a better choice, for Jackson has never given any indication that he would make a forward, whereas others had. Well, Jackson scored all four goals by which Everton defeated Liverpool, who scored through Shafto early in the game. Everton thus won the right to meet Burnley in the next round by a margin of 6-2 from their two meeting. They were two strange-looking sides, for Liverpool also had their team worries. Ten minutes from the start Mr. George Kay was looking for two players to complete his side, and Everton had four full backs in their team. Lawton will not be available on Saturday, for he will be helping Morton against Hamilton Academicals. He is honeymooning at Gourack.
Liverpool started off on the right foot, and their speed and quick tackling prevented Everton from doing anything but defend. In fact, they were much the better team for 20 minutes or so, during which time Everton could not get moving with their customary skill, and so were a goal, in arrear in 15 minutes. Shafto was the scorer, but it was Nieuwenhuys who must take most credit, for his shot, which crashed against the upright, left Shafto with a simple chance. After that Everton surely got the upper hand, and had it not been for Bartram in the Liverpool goal Everton’s goal crop would have been considerably augmented. There were times when the Liverpool goal had a charmed life such was Everton’s pressure, and not even a Bartram could have saved the situation. He did galliant work throughout, but time and time again the ball was luckily cannoned out of the net, when all seemed lost. At forty minutes Jackson scored a scratchy goal from Arthur’s centre, some claiming the ball had not gone over the line. A few minutes later Jackson snapped up a centre from Boyes, and although Bartram put his foot out to prevent the ball going in, he could not prevent goal No 2. The second half was distinctly Everton’s. They practically played Liverpool out of the game and it was then that Bartram stood between Everton and a riot of goals. He saved all manner of shots, but had to yield at the hour again to Jackson, who fastered on up-the-middle pass by Mercer and shot wide of Bartram –the best goal of the day in my opinion.
Liverpool could do nothing to stop the avalanche. Their attack was rendered important by the Everton defence, while their defence was run off its feet by this curious Everton team which played football of a high standard. They simply outclassed their rivals and almost in the last minute Jackson brought his tally to four goals, a remarkable achievement for a converted full-back. Arthur had a grand match. In fact, after 20 minutes Everton, the whole Everton side rose to the occasion to such an extent that Liverpool were never again troublesome. Patterson and Liddell were the best of their forwards, and Turner was a great defender, but having had their moments, Liverpool were eventually out-manoeuvred.
(Liverpool Echo, 13-01-1941)
Everton struck their true in their return game against Liverpool at Goodison Park. They were worth their 4-1 victory, because after a weak start, in which Liverpool took the lead, they took command of the game and never lost their grip on it. During the second half it was only the wonderful goalkeeping of Bartram which kept the score down. At the other end Sagar was rarely in action. Everton’s main strength was in the half-back line, where Mercer, T.G. Jones and Jack Jones “called the tune” to which the forwards responded in good style. They mastered a Liverpool forward line which, in the early stages, worked perfectly. The Liverpool men, however, later lacked the cohesion of the Everton set. This game will certainly go down in local football history, for it was a full back G. Jackson –deputising at the last minute for Tom Lawton at centre forward, who scored Everton’s four goals. He showed his versatility and was nearly always in position ready to thrust home the grand work of his front line colleagues. Arthur on the right wing continues to develop on the right lines and with Stevenson and Boyes –whose tricky work was a feature –had a good share in bringing about the result. Sagar had little to do but he was well covered by the sound play of Greenhalgh and Cook. Liverpool had their individualists who shone, when they got their chances. Notable among them were Nieuwenhuys and Liddell in the forwards and none of the defenders worked harder under a gruelling test, than Stuart and Owens at full back and Turner at centre half.
(Evening Express, 13-01-1941)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 