The Steel Workers won the toss and elected to defend the west goal. Despite the advantage of having the wind and sun at their backs, the Bethlehem players could not get started until more than twenty minutes had elapsed. Although the ball was in the visitors' territory practically all the time, the local attack could not finish t he offensive which kept Higgins, the Fall River goalie, working overtime. During this time the Bethlehem defense was scarcely called into action at all.
The first tally of the contest came when "Big Dan" McNiven drove the ball into the meshes from the midst of a lively scrimmage which took place immediately in front of the Fall River goal. McNiven added another point a few minutes later on a penalty kick. HE was all set for the kick and drove the ball into the net, but George Young, the referee, blew his whistle and ordered the ball kicked over again because of an off-side infraction. The second attempt went as true as the first.
McNiven scored Bethlehem's third goal five minutes later when he blocked a kick-out and immediately booted the ball directly into the net. Just before the close of the first half, Maxwell scored from the fifteen yard line, making the score four goals to one in Bethlehem's favor by half-time.
It was thought that the change in goals with the resumption of hostilities would give the advantage to Fall River. This impression was confirmed soon after the re-start, when Brittan shot the ball past Highfield for Fall River's first and only tally of the game. The Bethlehem forces rallied and retaliated a few minutes later when Campbell worked the ball up the sidelines toward the Bethlehem goal, made a pretty pass for McNiven who booted his fourth goal of the afternoon.
It was still within the first fifteen or twenty minutes of the second half that the final counter of the game was registered. Terris crossed to Campbell, who drove the ball into the Fall River goal giving Higgins no chance to save.
The game was rough and bitterly fought throughout. Apparently the Bethlehem players had not forgotten the rough treatment received at the hands of Fall River a week ago Sunday when the New Englanders ran rough-shod over the local eleven, winning by the score of 3 goals to 1 in an exhibition game. There were many bad spills by the contestants on both teams and numerous penalties were inflicted. Goldie, Bethlehem's outside left, received a badly twisted ankle and had to be removed from the game.
Two others were banished by the referee for coming to blows. One was McFarlane, a Bethlehem halfback, and another Tate, a fullback, substituting for Collier of Fall River. The game ended, therefore, with nine players on the Bethlehem team and ten on the Fall River aggregation.
Carnihan, one of Bethlehem's more recent acquisitions, played a stellar game at center half, playing rings around Harold Brittan, the former Bethlehem star.
In spite of the unseasonable weather, the contest was witnessed by close to 500 soccer enthusiasts who braved the cold and wind to see the local team in action.
The lineup:
Bethlehem -- Fall River
Highfield -- G -- Higgins
Young -- RFB -- Tate
Ferguson -- LFB -- Kemp
McFarlane -- RHB -- Stone
Carnihan -- CHB -- Pepper
Terris -- LHB -- Lorrimer
Campbell -- OR -- Woertez
Rattray -- IR -- Reid
McNiven -- CF -- Brittan
Maxwell -- IL -- Kershaw
Goldie -- OL -- Quinn
Goals: McNiven 4, Maxwell, Campbell, Brittan. Referee: Geo. Young, Philadelphia. Linesmen: J. Harry Carpenter and Horace Williams, Bethlehem. Time of halves, 45 minutes.