.How Mold Might Have Forced a Draw.

Southport … 1 Mold … 0

Although Southport scored only one goal they were much superior to Mold, but the forwards threw away many chances, Oxley being several times at fault.

Half-way through the second half he and Sambrook changed places, and immediately Southport obtained the goal which decided the issue. Sambrook swung the ball out to Macdonald on the left wing, who sent in a centre for SAPSFORD to head through.

Mold were often dangerous when within shooting distance, and once H. Williams sent the ball right across the goalmouth with Halsall beaten, and a mere touch would have netted it. In fact, the fight they put up was a credit to them.

Southport: Halsall; Tyler, Glover; Sinclair (J.), Bellis, Little (J.); Davies, Sambrook, Oxley, Sapsford, and Macdonald.

Mold: Connell; Lewis (J.), Woodhouse; Williams (J.), Pendleton, Robinson; Bird, Richards, Williams (H. F.), Lyon, and Harrington.

F.A. CUP.—FIRST ROUND PROPER.

At Southport, before 4,000 spectators. Exchanges were fairly even throughout the whole of the first half Southport, showing their usual weakness in finishing.

Sambrook and Sapsford were the sharpshooters in the Southport attack, but Mold had a very sound defence, and H. Williams led them smartly.

Half-time:—Southport … 0 Mold … 0

Southport were the superior side in the open but they bunched too much in front of goal and tried to get the ball through by sheer force.

SAPSFORD was the brain of their swift attack and headed a goal after 73 minutes’ play.

The attendance was 4,143 and the gate receipts £242.

Result:—SOUTHPORT … 1 MOLD … 0

BUT MOLD’S PLUCK SURPRISES THEM

Although Southport got through their Cup game with Mold, the fashion in which they accomplished the feat gave a great deal less satisfaction than did the result. The Welsh side put up a grim fight, at times they gave glimpses of high-class football, but their greatest strength lay in their quickness with the ball. There was no attempt to embellish their work. They swung the ball about with great effectiveness, keeping the opposing defence at full stretch, and generally demonstrating that the quality of football in the Welsh National League is much better than is realised in this part of the country.

One liked, too, the smart way in which they recognised scoring chances, and the readiness with which they set wide intervals to the best use of them, and it endeared the game to them as an interest in the tournament. Their forwards, Horace Williams, Trevor Roberts and others, were all lively, and there was quite a useful lot. Actually, however, there was no man who stood out with any great prominence, but against that was a good blend which put the hallmark of efficiency upon the general department of the Welshmen. They were, perhaps, somewhat over-eager in their finishing; and there was a tendency to cramp play in front of goal, but they by no means created a monopoly of this fault.

FORWARD WEAKNESSES.

But if Mold were not without their merits, Southport were a vastly superior side, and had they ended with a substantial margin of goals it would have been against the run of the game. Even so they did not attain that strength which had been expected, and there was not the order about the football that comes from a side possessing confidence and understanding. The ground conditions were all against confident play, but there were other reasons for Southport’s failure to make their passage into the next round decisive instead of the ordeal that it proved. Oxley failed as leader of the team, and he provided no leadership for the men on either side of him. He appeared to be either out of touch with his colleagues or gave the visitors’ back altogether too much room in which to work.

This was the great weakness in the stack, and the effects of it were very far-reaching. The extent of this was seen when Sambrook was transferred to that position when the game had less than 20 minutes to go—and the scoresheet was blank. Even though he did not drop his old fault of treating up ball with his back towards goal, his bustle and dash and his persistent harassing of the Mold backs were largely responsible for his side leaving the field victorious. Oxley, however, was not the only one to disappoint, for Davies often displayed bad judgment both in his use of the ball and his choice of distribution. The left flank was the only part of the attack to really justify itself. Sapsford again played a wonderful game. He contributed three thrusts forward, and it was fitting that the goal which took Southport forward should come from him. Sinclair, happier in his proper position, was the best of the halves, and there was nothing much wrong with the defence, which, generally, was well on top of its job.