Saturday, February 17 – 1945
Match: Football League, Northern Section, at Goodison Park.
Everton – Southport 6-0 (1-0).
Attendance: 10,085.
Referee: Mr. J. Briggs (Cheadle).
Everton (2-3-5): George Burnett, George Jackson, Norman Greenhalgh, Jack Grant, Maurice Lindley, Gordon Watson, Syd Rawlings, Stan Benthan, Cec Wyles, Alex Stevenson, Norman Sharp.
Southport (2-3-5): Wilf Birkett, George Curwen, Jack Jones, Thorpe, Chiverton, Laurie Hodgson, Simms, Albert Malam, Denis Massam, Coats, Butler.
The goals: 1-0 Wyles (33 min., assist: Grant), 2-0 Stevenson (54 min., assist: Wyles), 3-0 Rawlings (59 min.), 4-0 Rawlings (penalty, 68 min.), 5-0 Wyles (70 min., assist: Bentham), 6-0 Bentham (85 min.).
The Everton goals:
* Wyles reaped his reward in 33 minutes when he gave Everton the lead. Grant went through at outside right to lob in a magnificent centre, which Wyles took on the run to head into the roof of the net.
* Everton increased their lead in 54 minutes through Stevenson. Grant and Bentham started the movement, Bentham placing wide to Wyles, who had run to the open spaces at inside left. Wyles noted that Stevenson had switched to inside right, and he pushed the ball back along the floor for Stevenson to drive into the roof of the net with his left foot.
* Then Everton went through to increase their lead in 59 minutes through Rawlings. This was a five-point attack, in which Everton, by the use of the backward pass to outwit the offside trap, progressed like a star three-quarter line in a rugby game. The ball moved from man to man with amazing accuracy, and eventually it was pushed back to Rawlings, who drove low well out of Birkett’s reach – a magnificent goal.
* Everton were four up in 68 minutes, for when Stevenson were going through he was brought down by Chiverton, and Rawlings scored from the penalty.
* Everton made it five in 70 minutes when Wyles crowned some glorious inter-passing by Stevenson and Bentham with a swift crss-shot which Birkett touched but could only turn on to the post, the ball going into the net.
* Bentham scored Everton’s sixth goal in 85 minutes, with a magnificent shot from 15 yards which gave Birkett no possible chance.
Syd Rawlings, Everton F.C.
XX
"Play Up, Liverpool" 