Playing under a blazing sun on Saturday afternoon the Bethlehem soccer team waded through ninety minutes of drowsy football and had little trouble in vanquishing the Philadelphia Centennials in an Eastern League game by the score of 4 to 0.

The unexpected absence of Johnny Jaap, when the players took the field, had the team hard pressed for enough material. All the reserve talent, such as Walter Jackson and Purgavie, players who have been regulars with Bethlehem of late, were returned to the Phils for this game.

The absence of Jaap, failing to appear because of illness in his family, forced a drastic shift in the forward line and Jock Ferguson, veteran fullback, had the novel experience of performing in the role of a wing forward, a position he played in the early days of his career. Jock did not over-exert himself in the position and, as a matter of fact, there was no occasion for any of the Steelmen to put on extra pressure.

Had the competition been stronger the homesters would undoubtedly have stepped out, but under the conditions were just satisfied to breeze along and remain far enough in the lead to assure the two league points. The Phillies introduced a newcomer in Deal, a former scholastic star, who looked quite promising to make good in fast company. He played center forward and gave evidence of possessing a wicked shot when in the best opportunity to score in the game he crashed a terrific shot against the cross bar, a drive that if not beating would have carried the custodian into the net. Purgavie played a good game at wing forward; Jackson worked his head off as one of the visitors’ backs, and Finneran turned back several well-aimed drives but to no avail, for the efforts of this quartet of players was far from sufficient to cause Bethlehem any undue concern.

Five minutes of the game had elapsed when Tommy Gillespie breezed down the right wing, eluded the backs and then cut in. He whipped a whizzing ground past the goal mouth where Rodgers, in his attempt to boot the ball out of danger, tipped it with his miskick just hard enough to deflect it into the goal.

Within five more minutes Archie Stark counted. The ball came from the right wing with Stark in pursuit. Both Finneran and Jackson tried to beat the Bethlehem center to it but Archie was there first and he spun the ball into the open goal.

The veteran Ferguson contributed to the next marker. Forcing a corner, Ferguson took the kick and placed perfectly. However, the ball was partly cleared, but in the skirmish that followed Maxwell managed to drive it into the net. The fourth and last marker was registered by Stark.

Bethlehem – Centennials
Beveridge – G -- Finneran
Allan – RFB – Rodgers
Ferguson – LFB – Jackson
Maxwell – RHB – Murphy
Carnihan – CHB – Dunn
Reid – LHB – McCurdy
Gillespie – OR – Green
Rollo – IR – Bell
Stark – CF – Deal
Massie – IL – McGhee
Ferguson – OL – Purgavie
Goals: Rodgers, for Bethlehem (accidental), Stark 2, Maxwell. Referee, J. H. Carpenter. Linesmen: Horace William and Fred Pepper. Time of halves, 45 minutes.