This was a remarkable game in several respects and easily one of the most exciting of the series of Cup-ties between these old rivals over period of many years. It took place on the Frome Road ground before 5,090 spectators, the gate receipts totalling £355. At halftime Chippenham Town, led by 2-0. A lead which they thoroughly merited, and which must have been greater but for the heroic resistance of the Trowbridge defence. In the second half, however, the scene of attack and defence was almost completely reversed, and Chippenham were hard pressed to earn the replay which they richly deserved. It was grand cup-tie and there could not have been a fairer result.
Ken Abrahams was playing "a home and away match". for until this season he had been with Trowbridge for a dozen seasons and more, and knows the Town ground yard by yard. It was appropriate, therefore, that he should captain his side against his former colleagues, and a cheer went as he spun the coin with "Bill" Lovesey, won, and decided to kick down the slope. For most of the first half Chippenham were the attacking force. Chippenham shunned the close passing stuff, and with long first-time passing they never permitted Trowbridge to get into their stride. Three minutes after the start the "Chipps" were ahead. On the left wing the ball bounced knavishly for young Ken Hulbert (deputising for J. Sutherland), but ran kindly to Davies (a clever and fast winger), who took full advantage of the opportunity by crashing home a swift low shot past Vince. Greenland got one or two fine drives, and Bates was almost caught napping when he only partially cleared a Haddon drive. For the mast part, however, Trowbridge were banging the ball out of their own goalmouth, and when, after 22 minutes. Abrahams took a pass and dribbled through to score one of his inimitable goals, there were glum faces among the Trowbridge fans. At half-time the score was still Trowbridge 0. Chippenham 2.
In the first minute of the second half Trowbridge supporters were sent into ecstasies when Haddon whipped across a grand centre and McGhee, with his head, flicked the ball down and beneath Bates' outstretched arm into the net. Now it was mass attack by Trowbridge, and we saw Chippenham's defence at their best—notably Boyd at centre half, who could hardly afford to give McGhee an inch! Watson's clever ball control opened Chippenham's defence many times. From corner by Haddon McGhee headed against the Chippenham crossbar and Bates cleared as the ball dropped in front of him. Just after this, in the 65th minute, Webb got in a great run and shot, and the ball came off the foot of an upright and appeared to be running across the goal to safety. With a great effort, however, McGhee chased it, swept out his right boot - and the ball was the back of the net. From now the end the game might well have been won and lost by either side. Twice Hulbert, by really intelligent positioning, cleared off the Trowbridge goal-line when the ball was going wide of Vince. Yet when Tuck was penalised for obstruction Ron Webb brought the ball from the goalmouth and dribbled almost to his opponents' goal area, when he was badly tackled by Harris. It might well have ended in a goal to Trowbridge had Webb not been stopped thus. However, time came with the score 2-2, and a midweek replay a certainty.
Teams:
Trowbridge—Vince; Hulbert, Welch: Lovesey, Tuck, Grimason; Haddon, Watson, McGhee, Greenland. Webb.
Chippenham Town- Bates; Titcombe. Marchant; Kearney, Boyd. Osman; Hamilton, Harris, Barclay, Abrahams, Davies. Referee, J. W. Cook, Swindon
Report from The Wiltshire Times
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