Stark’s Winning Goal
More than one soccer fan left the Polo Grounds Sunday convinced that the heroic effort of Archie Stark in notching the winning goal against Fall River was legitimate. After Referee Creighton tooted his whistle he started for the center of the field to put the ball in play again. En route on his journey he was approached by three Fall River players protesting and claiming hands had been laid on the ball by Stark. No one was in a better position than the referee at the time and he failed to detect hands. However, he consulted the linesmen. One informed him he did not see the pay. The other, a Mr. DeGroff, so it is said, claimed that Stark had hooked the ball with his hands. On the strength of this latter assertion, given by an official who was far from the scene of action, the referee reversed his own decision. It will be recalled that Linesman DeGroff is the same official assigned to handle the Bethlehem-Giant cup game and against whom Bethlehem had protested but to no avail.
Absolute Robbery
There is perhaps no more even tempered player in major league soccer or a player who stands in higher regard with the rival factions than Archie Stark. In fact, it has often been remarked that Stark’s goal scoring possibilities would be vastly increased if he bore down continuously rather than show every courtesy to his foemen. And when Stark becomes irate and declares himself it is a matter of moment. He did declare himself after the game on Sunday and in no mild terms. “Absolute robbery. I never scored a more perfect goal in my life,” was his parting shot.
Threw it Away and Then Pilfered
Before denied the winning goal Bethlehem virtually threw the game away when very poor judgment was enacted in assigning Bill Carnihan to take a penalty kick. Bill missed the shot and any other player might have done likewise. However, Carnihan is not accustomed to taking penalty kicks and it is to be expected that there are plenty other players on the team whose scoring possibilities were more pronounced. There was no excuse for this error if such it may be called for in a game of this importance every possible advantage should be considered.
In Great Form
In the 18 years of soccer combat never did a Bethlehem team fight more desperately or with truer tradition of a Bethlehem club. Perhaps it is entirely out of order to single out any individual but one cannot pass up the sterling defense work of Bob McGregor in the hour of trial when the team was badly wrecked by injury, or the remarkable playing exhibited by Willie Reid, yanked out of his regular position to play halfback when Carnihan was injured and left the field. Reid gave a display on which the team need have no fear in the event of Carnihan being unavailable for the replay. UP to the time of his injury Carnihan, too, was at his best and the brand of soccer dispensed was possibly the best ever witnessed in the metropolitan district.