by Lucien Esty
The Bethlehem F. C. skidded to a 3-0 victory over the Newark F. C. in an American Soccer League match played Saturday afternoon on the semi-submerged Bethlehem Steel Field. Bethlehem's win over Newark gave the local team a one-point lead over Fall River in the American League standing, both having played the same number of games. The advantage was only temporary, however, since yesterday Fall River again took the lead on a 1-0 win over the Brooklyn Wanderers. Fall River today leads the race by one point by virtue of having played one more game than Bethlehem.
From the grandstand the Steel Field Saturday afternoon looked like a bird's eye view of the Thousand Islands. Although the weather left nothing to be desired the field conditions were probably the worst ever seen at the Bethlehem Steel "grounds."
Bethlehem pressed Newark hard throughout the first half of the contest. The ball was almost constantly in the visitors' territory, but weak finishing by Bethlehem, the active work of Sam Fletcher at fullback and the ever-busy Newark goalie, Douglas, staved off all attempts by Bethlehem to score until five minutes before the close of the half when Alec Jackson tallied on a short shot from the midst of a torrid scrimmage immediately in front of the net. Alec scored again less than a minute later on a long, hard drive. The counter was more or less fluky, since Douglas appeared to have stopped the drive. The ball spun about in the goalie's hands and then slipped out of his grasp and rolled over the line.
The third and final score of the game came ten minutes after the second half got under way. Goldie took the ball up the left side of the field and let go a hard drive from an angle. The slippery sphere was stopped squarely by Douglas, but it rebounded from him and was rushed into the net by Granger.
The crowd of spectators who witnessed the game enjoyed the humorous aspect of the sloppy, slippery field. Ten minutes after play started every one of the twenty players had become coated with mud. A few took nose dives that made them look like burnt cork artists or complexion clay users. The ball was so heavy and water-soaked that it was well nigh impossible to control it as it slipped from puddle to pool, frequently stopping dead while the players overran the ball. The score:
Bethlehem -- Newark
Highfield -- G -- Douglas
D. Ferguson -- RFB -- Fletcher
J. Ferguson -- LFB -- Nell
MacGregor -- RHB -- Murray
Carnihan -- CHB -- Bleich
Robertson -- LHB -- Kirby
Turner -- OR -- McArthur
A. Jackson -- IR -- Lawther
Granger -- CF -- Best
Maxwell -- IL -- Green
Goldie -- OL -- Brown
Goals: A. Jackson 2, Granger. Referee, George Young. Time of halves, 45 minutes.