Saturday, January 9 – 1943
Match: League War Cup Qualifying, Northern Section, at Goodison Park, kick-off: 15:00.
Everton – Liverpool 1-3 (1-1).
Attendance: 18,206.
Referee: Mr. G.L. Iliffe (RAF).
Everton (2-3-5): George Burnett, Billy Cook, Norman Greenhalgh, Stan Bentham, John Humphreys, Joe Mercer, George Jackson, George Mutch, Harry Jones, Alex Stevenson, Tommy Fowler.
Liverpool (2-3-5): Alf Hobson, Roy Guttridge, Ray Lambert, Harry Kaye, Jack Westby, Jack Pilling, Arthur Shepherd, Willie Fagan, Cyril Done, Fred Haycock, Michael Hulligan.
The goals: 1-0 Mutch (17 min.), 1-1 Hulligan (22 min.), 1-2 Hulligan (61 min.), 1-3 Shepherd (82 min.).
Liverpool win Goodison “Derby”
Arthur Shepherd, Liverpool’s newest professional, who was signed on “pro” forms this week, made his senior debut today. Shepherd was called on to play outside right in the Merseyside “Derby” against Everton at Goodison Park. Shepherd is the former Townsend lane schoolboy and is now in the Royal Marines. He took the place of Haycock, who went to inside left in the absence of Dorsett. Everton, too, had changes, Watson was unfit, so Mercer went to half-back, with Bentham at right half and Jackson, outside right. Lawton could not play.
Shepherd was early alert and Stevenson had to double back to hold him up on the goalline. Everton showed rather greater speed to the ball, and Jones beat Westby cleverly but placed his centre behind. Shepherd and Fagan forced Everton to do some solid packing before pressure was relieved, and then Jackson gave the Reds’ defence the go-by, but his only reward was a corner. The first shot of the day was from half-back Bentham, but this was off the mark. Play was pretty even, with Everton’s wing-halves an important factor in the motive force behind the attack.
Opening Goal.
Everton took the lead in 17 minutes with the first real scoring effort of the day. Bentham was the man who began the move, for the brought the ball down and made ground beautifully before giving to Jackson. Jackson made ground before turning the ball in low, as Jones was trying to bring the ball down for a shot Mutch stepped in and crashed it into the roof of the net before Hobson had a chance.
Everton came again through Jackson, before Shepherd troubled the Blues’ defence with his inward run only relieved by Greenhalgh’s hefty clearance kick.
In 22 minutes Liverpool were level through Hulligan, but this was to all intents and purposes Shepherd’s goal, Shepherd struck to his task, although being forced to the line, and he curled in a centre which Burnett obviously imagined had gone behind. Anyway Burnett just stood still as the ball dropped down for the in running Hulligan to drive it home.
The 20,000 people were getting plenty of thrills. Burnett twice fisted away with Done trying to connect, and on the second occasion Shepherd quickly headed in a return which, however, went over, and then Mercer came through with a shot which Hobson easily cleared.
Another Thrill.
Then came another thrill, not in Everton’s linking, for Shepherd turned the ball in to Done, whose shot was kicked aside by Burnett. Haycock quickly placed into the vacant goal, but the whistle had already sounded for offside against Hulligan.
Then a unique incident took place, for with the Everton forwards racing through to make up a long hopping pass, Hobson raced to the edge of the penalty area, and headed the ball away. A goalkeeper heading is a new one, Fowler got across a magnificent centre when it looked as if the pace of the ball had beaten him, but Lambert was just able to intercept Mutch through it cost him a corner. Burnett dropped the ball over the line for a corner, and at the other end Hobson recovered when it seemed as if the bounce of the ball had beaten him. Done was off the mark with a shot and then headed beyond the far post. Since their equaliser Liverpool had been rather the more impressive side.
Half-time; Everton 1, Liverpool 1.
Everton restarted on a high note, Jones twice going dangerously near, and then Cook and Stevenson failed to make the correct use of penalty line free kicks, although Stevenson’s shot came back off a defender. Liverpool were lucky that they were not penalised for twice obstructing Jones, but gradually the Reds, operating with greater abandon, get a grip on the game. So quick were Liverpool on the ball that Everton simply could not shake them on, and any attempts by the Blues to move in unison were promptly upset by Liverpool’s speed to possession.
Fast-Moving Reds.
Humphreys stood in the breach against the fast-moving Reds although Done missed one easy chance with only Burnett to beat. In sixty one minutes Liverpool took the lead for the first time. Hulligan again being the scorer. The Liverpool inside forwards combined neatly, and with Cook hesitating Fagan slipped the ball through for Hulligan to come in and shoot into the far corner.
Everton were battling hard for the equaliser, but Liverpool stuck to them like terriers, giving them not an inch in which to work. Lambert once failed to clear but managed to get in the way of Jackson’s quick shot. Liverpool practically clinched matters in 82 minutes with a third goal, from Shepherd. Humphreys had beaten away one attack but Fagan snapped up the ball and glided it forward for Shepherd to cut in from the right and surprise Everton’s slow defenders. Everton were not done with, and when they had another 18 yards free kick, Greenhalgh came up and levelled a magnificent shot, which Hobson dived to and turned around the post.
Final; Everton 1, Liverpool 3.
(Evening Express, 09-01-1943)
New winger gets a goal
There was quite a goodly crowd to see the first leg of the Merseyside Derby Cup-tie at Goodison Park. Both sides had to make changes, Everton found Watson unfit, so Bentham went right half and Mercer crossed over to the left. Dorsett was unable to play for Liverpool so that Shepherd who only signed professional forms a week ago made his debut in the Anfield senior eleven.
Liverpool opened with a strong attack and the Everton goal area was at one point packed full of Liverpool forwards who were all out to strike a quick blow for their side, but the Everton defence prevented this. Everton’s only attack so far had been a run through by Jones, who finally put the ball behind. Bentham tried a long shot which finished well off the mark, and a corner kick taken by Jackson was wasted, but at this point Everton were doing exceedingly well, and like the Everton defence in the early minutes, the Liverpool defenders had to stand solidly in front of goal.
The football was exciting and Liverpool’s speed when framing an attack often caught the Everton men napping, but neither goalkeeper thus far had a save to make. Jackson was given off-side when he appeared to be well onside. Greenhalgh cut in to cut out what promised to be a dangerous Liverpool movement. Then Shepherd was caught in the offside trap, as he was on the point of going forward for a shot.
Mutch and Hulligan.
The crowd wanted a goal, and at 18 minutes they got one, and it was an Everton goal. Everton had been pressing for some moments before it came, and then Bentham running forward, delivered a nice pass to Jackson, whose centre seemed to be flashing across the Liverpool goal; where Jones was waiting, but Mutch rushed in and cracked the ball into the top netting.
This only tended to make Liverpool fight back with more determination, and Shepherd, although harassed by Humphreys managed to get in his centre, which did not appear to have any great danger, about it until Burnett misjudged its flight. He endeavoured to punch it over his bar, but did not make contact and the ball dropped at Hulligan’s feet, and he swept it into the net like lightning at 22 minutes. There was a suggestion that the ball had gone out of play before Shepherd made his centre, but the referee would not listen to an appeal. Liverpool crowded on all they knew to break down Everton’s defensive plan.
Disallowed.
Everton goal had a narrow escape when Hulligan ran through and shot against Burnett’s legs. The ball rebounded to Haydock, who shot into goal, but the point was disallowed because of Hulligan being offside. Hobson showed his versatility when he ran out of goal and made a headily save –he actually headed the ball away. Near the interval Lambert, by a superlative tackle, took the ball from off Mutch’s toes as the latter was about to shoot.
Half-time; Everton 1, Liverpool 1.
Everton resumed with a sound attack, and Jones was almost through him in his effort to drive the ball aide, Hobson put it outside. Done, when he was through at the other end, shot against the side netting.
Hulligan’s Second.
Liverpool took the next goal, Hulligan scoring at 63 minute, Haycock and Done between them made it possible, and when Hulligan got the ball the Everton defence seemed to stand still and allow him to go on and beat Burnett. Shepherd scored a third for Liverpool in 82 minutes. Final; Everton 1, Liverpool 3.
(Liverpool Echo, 09-01-1943)
Arthur Shepherd, Liverpool F.C.
XX
"Play Up, Liverpool" 