The first soccer game of February for our laddie bucks was played at Harriman, Pa., on Sunday, the 2nd, and resulted in a tie score, 1 to 1. The Merchant A team, of Bristol, gets the honor of being the first team to score a field goal against Bethlehem in a league contest this year.
The first half found the sun and wind against the steelworkers, and after twenty minutes of up and down the field play, a combination forward movement by the entire Bristol offense resulted in Hardy receiving a pass from Heminsley and netting the ball.
The second half was Bethlehems, although only one goal was scored. With the wind and sun at their backs, our boys got busy and should have scored more than once. Even George McKelvey missed one when he was only six feet from the goal. Too bad. Ferguson trapped the ball on one occasion in brilliant fashion, and then added to that by beating the two on-coming forwards with a coolness and deliberation that drew applause from the big crowd of 1500 people.
Of course that darn fellow Pearce was playing goal for Merchants, and continually got in the way of our boys shots but Whitey Fleming drove one by him after he had received from Sammy Fletcher. This time Pearce did not have a chance. The ball hit the inside of the post and bounced into the net. We should have won it. The lineup:
Bethlehem -- Merchants
Duncan G H. Pearce
Wilson RFB Todd
Ferguson LFB Morrison
Pepper RHB Russell
Fletcher CHB McKay
Butler LHB -- Small
McKelvey OR Burnett
Forrest IR Maxwell
Easton CF Heminsley
Millar IL Hardy
Fleming OL Coursey
Final Score Merchants, 1; Bethlehem, 1. Half time score Merchants 1; Bethlehem, 0. Goals made by Hardy for Merchants, Fleming for Bethlehem. Referee George Young. Time of halves, 45 minutes. Linesmen Gallagher for Merchants, Campbell for Bethlehem.