FAST SCORING BY SWIFTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 85, 7 October 1933, Page 24

FAST SCORING BY SWIFTS

Though Swifts had every reason_ to bo proud of their win over Waterside at the Kilbirnie Stadium last Saturday, neither they nor their opponents could be proud of the football played, for it was decidedly wealc on both sides. Even after making allowanco for the liigh wind that kept the play mostly at one end, the bumpy ground that vastly increased the difficulty of ball control, and the staleiiess of the players resulting from the- lateness in the season, the game was a very poor advertisement for the Soccer codo. Fortunately tho very reasons that helped to make tho game so uninteresting kept all but the koeuest of spectators away, and the keen ones know the difficulties under which the teams were labouring.

Even Swifts' most ardent supporters must have been exceedingly surprised nnd gratified at their 3-1 victory over the redoubtable "Waterside eleven. Iv

tho first half Swifts were aided by tha wind. Although they hammered per* sistcntly at tho Waterside citadel for 43 minutes they could not penetrate"tt*? defence, but iv the two minutes b*fore half-time they scored two lightui-^ goals, tho second ouo coming whilo the crowd were still considering tho surprise of the first. The interval was particularly welcome to- tho AVatersida men, but their surprises were not yet finished, for Swifts slammed their third goal homo fifteen seconds after ■tho kick-off in the second half. Jfrom then, until tho end of tho game there was no man on the field moro hard-worked than tho Swifts goalie,- but he responded nobly to the strain and let through ouly one shot, a.drive that would have beaten the best of custodians. .".■'' Individual effort, rather than team tactics, was the order, of the day. Most-prominent was Bradford, tha Swifts goalie, and. almost as h'ardworlced and equally as good was Shipp, in goal for Waterside. Both : sets pi backs, worked well, but tbo Swifts' halves were slightly more efficient than their opposite row in the Waterside team. Neither set of forwards was as good as it should have been in shooting. They were an evenly-matched lot, ,b,ut if any were outstanding they were Kelly and Shankio for ' Swifts, and Baistow and Patterson for Waterside.