September 12, 1942
Match: Football League, Northern Section, at Anfield, kick-off: 15:00.
Liverpool – Everton 1-0 (1-0).
Attendance: 17,131; gate receipts: £1,049.
Referee: Mr. R.A. Mortimer (Huddersfield).
Liverpool (2-3-5): Alf Hobson, Roy Guttridge (Aston Villa), Ray Lambert, Harry Kaye, Tom Bush, Eddie Spicer, Billy Liddell, Dick Dorsett (Wolverhampton Wanderers), George Mills, Cyril Done, Phil Taylor.
Everton (2-3-5): George Burnett, Billy Cook, Jack Jones, Stan Bentham, Tommy Jones, Gordon Watson, George Jackson, George Mutch (Preston North End), Harry Jones (West Bromwich Albion), Jack Grant, Alf Anderson.
The goal: 1-0 Mills (25 min.).
Mills scooped goal for Liverpool
In the first of the season’s meetings between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield, Liverpool held the interval lead with a goal by Mills.
Liverpool started off in good fashion with a nice run from Liddell and a grand centre-cum-shot, which Burnett caught in nonchalant and confident fashion. A couple of minutes later, after Everton had made two incursions into the Liverpool half, the visitors’ goal had a narrow escape when Mills, changing places with Liddell, sent across a centre which begged for conversion, but there was nobody to tap it in after Burnett had failed to connect with the ball.
Taylor was injured in a tackle by Cook and had a receive attention on the line. Harry Jones neatly flicked the ball aside to set Anderson moving, but the winger’s shot was blocked by Bush. Everton forced a corner on the left and Tommy Jones, dashing up, was only just over the bar with a smart header.
Taylor returned hereabouts and put Mills in possession, but the centre forward’s attempts to round Cook was unsuccessful. A Cook-Mutch-Jackson combination spelled danger for Liverpool until Lambert nipped in at the right moment.
Then came a couple of minutes of concentrated thrills. First, the Liverpool defence got itself all tied in a knot, and was lucky not to concede a goal when first Bush and then Lambert failed to get a proper hold of their clearance. Then Mills receiving a pass from Dorsett, with only a defender to beat, failed badly.
The centre forward, however, made amends a few moments later, when Taylor, neatly eluding Cook, put across a fine centre, which the former Chelsea man “scooped” past Burnett. Burnett made two brilliant saves in quick succession and was fortunate with the first of them to get away without serious hurt when he collided heavily with the upright. The second was from a header by Bush, who had come up for a corner.
Knocks and Limps
Taylor received another knock on the leg which made him limp badly, and then Anderson, in his eagerness to get to the ball when Kaye lay on the ground walked on the Liverpool man who grabbed his leg in the process. From the resultant free kick, which curiously enough went to Everton, Jones crashed a terrific shot against the bar. It had been a grand, exciting first half, full of hard, determined football, with both goals having many narrow escape.
Half-time: Liverpool 1, Everton 0.
For five or six minutes, Liverpool were hard out to keep their good intact, and if only Everton’s finishing had been better they might not have succeeded. Then came a spell of Liverpool pressure in which Burnett brilliantly saved a Liddell header from a centre by Spicer.
Both centre halves had played extremely well under heavy pressure, and Bust at this period was a tower of strength for Liverpool. Done looked all over a scorer for Liverpool three minutes from the end but Burnett made a miraculous save. From the rebound Done put the ball into the net but the point was disallowed for a previous infringement.
Final: Liverpool 1, Everton 0.
(Liverpool Echo, 12-09-1942)
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One goal at Anfield
While the first clash of the season between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield did not produce a classic display, it was so packed with stern endeavour, grim determination and football of the pre-war cup-tie type, that the crowd of 17,131 went away well satisfied.
Liverpool won by the only goal scored by Mills after 25 minutes, and were rather fortunate to get both points. A draw would have been a fairer result, for Everton had as much of the play as their opponents, while their football was more methodically planned, than that of the home side, who with one or two exceptions inclined more to kick and rush tactics.
Both defences had a gruelling time, and each had periods when they were not too happy under pressure, but on the whole the rear-guards came out with more credit than the attacks.
Play was maintained throughout at a terrific pace –in fact often took precedent over polish –and veered from end to end in lightning fashion.
Liverpool’s goal came from the second of two breakaways after Everton had been hammering their defence for some minutes.
On the first occasion Mills, with only Burnett to beat, failed but on the second occasion he managed to “scoop” a Taylor centre beyond the goalkeeper. It was not a pretty goal, but it was sufficient to bring two points, and though there were many periods later when Everton threatened to get the equaliser, the home defence stuck to its guns so stubbornly that the task was beyond them.
Goalkeepers Shine.
The visiting goal also had its quotes of narrow escapes, for Liverpool did as much attacking as Everton, and the woodwork was struck by both sides more times than I remember in one game for many months.
When the forwards did manage to get a shot through to the goalkeeper –and there were a number of very hot ones – they found Burnett and Hobson in brilliant form. Of the two, Burnett had slightly the more work to do, for whereas Liverpool shot at every opportunity, though not always with accuracy.
Everton were inclined to try to work a clear opening before “having a go,” a mistake which played into the hands of Bush and the co-defenders who tackled so resolutely and covered one another so well that Everton seldom found the opening they sought. Both sides were well served by the centre-halves. T. Jones gave his usual clever display, even if he did have to gallop a little but more than normal at times, while Bush though not so polished, was equally effective, Kaye was excellent, but Spicer tired in the second half.
Mills was again a disappointment, and with Taylor injured Liverpool’s attack developed mainly on Done and Liddell, and Dorsett the schemer and always a dangerous marksman. Jackson did well for the losers at outside right, Harry Jones got little change out of Bush, and Grant an “A” team youngster, made a promising debut. He makes up in courage and staying power, what he lacks in inches.
(Liverpool Daily Post, 14-09-1942)
"Play Up, Liverpool" 