FRIENDLY MATCH
TROWBRIDGE v. WEST HAM RES.
Team Manager Jim Paviour and his club-mates have by united endeavour this season built up Trowbridge Town team which has far surpassed in performance all expectations - a happy contented combination which, if present form continues, will soon be issuing strong challenge for the Western League championship. Such state of affairs none could have visualised three months ago when the club in dire financial straits discarded much of the cream of their professional talent. The supporters are also playing their part well, the attendances at home first-team matches averaging 1,800.
Last Saturday's friendly with West Ham Reserves produced a rousing encounter between two well-matched sides with Trowbridge carrying the banner of victory chiefly because of the superb marksmanship of Ken Abrahams and Harry Haddon sound defensive play. Trowbridge is not a happy hunting ground for Combination clubs Portsmouth Reserves. Charlton Athletic Reserves, Watford Reserves and Fulham Reserves have all been beaten there, and West Ham, who were beaten 4-2, must have returned convinced that some strange "hoodoo" favoured the Wiltshire club. Three times in the closing stages the ball was sailing towards the Trowbridge net with Vince well and truly beaten, but each time it smacked against the framework, twisted tantalisingly on the goal-line, but refused to go over it. Good luck for Trowbridge, perhaps, but the ball, after all, has to go between the goalposts!
ABRAHAMS IN FORM
The match saw a welcome return to form of Ken Abrahams. Not only did his footwork lie the London defenders into the proverbial "soccer knots", his shooting was likewise uncanny Harry Haddon too was not far behind in ball wizardry, and Jack Dagg, continuing his improved form, led the line with intelligent vigour and kept the defenders guessing. The Londoners looked like getting the first goal when John the ball out to right-winger Hooper, who fired in a terrific shot, but Vince, by an acrobatic effort, managed to tip the ball over the crossbar - a save which won the personal congratulations of Petchey. Bowering (deputising for Lovesey. still unfit!) saved an ugly situation when Vince was caught out of position. In the 16th minute Haddon gave Trowbridge the lead with a shot which Taylor might have reached had he not slipped in the mud. Taylor saved brilliantly from Dagg, but in 23 minutes Chapman equalised when the Town defence were caught badly spread-eagled. Two more fine saves by Taylor, from Webb and Haddon, and then a few minutes from half-time Tuck failed to clear, the ball was whipped across from the right and Welch attempting to clear, miskicked the ball into his own goal. Chapman making doubly sure. Within two minutes however, Trowbridge were level. Abrahams dribbled the ball in from the left of the goal, and then lifted it over Taylor into the far side from a most acute angle. Half-time score: 2-2.
COOL DEFENCE
The Trowbridge defence, notably Sutherland, stood up well to the all-out efforts of West Ham's forwards, of whom Betts and Hooper, the wingers, were extremely fast and dangerous. The crowd -and Chapman - gasped as missed an "open" goal with Vince "not at home". In the 54th minute a faulty pass was returned to Abrahams. Off he went with the ball seemingly glued to his feet, past one, two, three defenders, and then as Taylor came out to narrow the angle the inside left flicked the ball high and dry, almost square from the goalpost, into the other side of the net - a remarkable goal. A clever back-header by Dagg almost caught Taylor napping, and then Abrahams got through and crashed in a shot which brought "Goal" from the crowd. When the crowd of players thinned, however, we saw Taylor with the ball in safe keeping - another wonderful save. In the 70th minute, however, Haddon cut through, and from a very narrow angle managed to turn the ball between the upright and goalkeeper to make the score 4-2. In the closing minutes the Trowbridge goal was bombarded. Betts struck the upright and Sutherland kicked off the goal me; Betts headed against an upright and Vince cleared the rebound, and Hooper also saw an upright deny him a goal.
Mr. Harold French, of Trowbridge, refereed, and the teams were;
Trowbridge - Vince; Sutherland. Welch, Bowering. Tuck. Haycock; Grimason. Dagg. Abrahams, Webb. West Ham Res - Taylor; Bond, Kearns. Jackman. Nelson. Noakes; Hooper. John. Chapman. Petchey, Betts.
Official attendance: 1.950
Report from The Wiltshire Times
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