“DARK HORSES” WIN IN ENGLISH SOCCER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 63, 16 March 1931, Page 5

“DARK HORSES” WIN IN ENGLISH SOCCER.

SURPRISES HAVE BEEN ABUNDANT THIS YEAR.

(Special to the “Star.”) LONDON, January 29. The giants of the Soccer I*eague are fast disappearing from the Cup oempetition, the latest to fade out being the champions, Sheffield Wednesday, and the holders of the trophy, the Arsenal. In fact, of the sixteen clubs who remain in the tournament, only half represent the top class, the others being drawn from the second and third divisions of the League. The 41 dark horsfes” are threatening to race rough-shod to the final at Wembley. The surprises this year have been greater than ever. In the last round, the fourth, it was taken for granted that Sheffield Wednesday would easily, dismiss Barnsley, even on the latter’s ground. Barnsley were, of course, famous Cup fighters before the War, but in the meantime the club have fallen on hard times, and they have done nothing of note. However, against the Wednesday they played with something like their old spirit and resolution,. and they won by two goals to one.

The Arsenal had a much harder task in opposing Chelsea, but a few weeks before they had scored five goals against them, and their record suggested that they were a more formidable team. The match was played in a high wind,, and Chelsea had the good luck to win the toss, and have its help during the first half. This was probably the deciding factor of the tie. Chelsea attacked keenly and cleverly, and in a quarter of an hour were two goals up. Had they taken all their chances, they must have been even further in front. But the Arsenal bad shotftn themselves to be great fighters against odds, and, when they got a goal back shortly before the interval, it was expected that they would recover in the second half with the wind helping them. Chelsea. however, defended superbly, and, as their opponents to realise that they could make no impression, they became flustered, and played in very haphazard style. The Arsenal, in fact, were desperate, but the harder they tried the worse they became as a team. In the end they were thoroughly beaten. It was a fine performance on the part of Chelsea, and, though there are no favourites for the Cup, they have seized the imagination of the public as likely winners. They have had the good luck to be drawn at home in the next round against Blackburn Rovers, and they ought to win this tie. Of the other surviving clubs, a fine impression has been created by Everton, who. though at present in the Second Division of the League. are playing in the traditional style of the club. Dixie Dean, the centre forward, has recovered the form he displaved as England’s leader, and this has been a. big factor in their success. In the last tie against Crystal Palacs he obtained four of six goals.