Conquering the Newark Portuguese here on Saturday afternoon with comparative ease by the score of 4 to 0, Bethlehem soccer team met much stiffer opposition in a revamped and greatly improved Newark F. C., in the game on the latter's grounds on Sunday afternoon but again emerged victorious by the score of 5 to 3. It was not until the Bethlehem booters boosted the margin of lead to two goals late in the second half that certainly of victory was anticipated.
Playing hard and willing but lacking the class of their opponents the Newark Portuguese were forced to bow to the crack Bethlehem Steel soccer machine on Lehigh field Saturday afternoon. The final score of 4 to 0 does not describe the preponderance of play the home clan had over the invaders nor nearly all the excellent opportunities to roll up a bigger score by the half hearted attempts of the Bethlehem forwards.
The Portuguese in their previous meeting with Bethlehem caught the home Eastern Leaguers after a hard clash with the New York Hakoah the day before and created favorable comment by their display. On Saturday it was a different Bethlehem team.
From the opening minute when Stark first sent a rifle shot skimming the cross bar and an instant later when his head missed the goal by inches, until the final blast of Referee Pepper's whistle the visitors' goal was the target of almost constant attack. Peutland, the "port" custodian and his defense assistants were about the busiest men on the field.
Twenty minutes of play elapsed in which Bethlehem was almost constantly pressing but without avail. Then in the midst of an attack near goal Robello, the invaders crack right back, used hands in clearing and a penalty was immediately awarded. There was no protest for the act was deliberate and Johnny Jaap was assigned to take the spot kick. His low, hard drive to one far corner of the net was completely out of Peutland's range.
With one marker to their credit Bethlehem continued putting on pressure and before the half ended was rewarded with two more goals, both coming from Johnny Rollo. In a torrid scrimmage in front of the net Peutland left his station and in doing so enabled Rollo to virtually walk in the ball.
On his next successful attempt the way was paved by some brilliant passing combination participated in by Stark and Gillespie. The defense was completely tricked and Rollo again had his chance from close quarters. The half ended shortly afterwards.
The restart witnessed Bethlehem again hovering in the vicinity of the Portuguese net. However, most of Bethlehem play was confined in passing from wing to wing and some ridiculously easy shots were fluked by such sure shooters as Stark and his fellow workers on the forward line. Tine and again this front line ran the visitors' defense ragged with their long sweeping passes from wing to wing and time and time again Alec Dick, playing outside left, broke away but found probably the outstanding player of the visitors team pitted against him in Rebello, right back. The latter did some beautiful defensive work but finally was beaten in the closing minute of play when Dick accounted for the lone marker scored by Bethlehem in this half.
The lineup:
Bethlehem -- Portuguese
Beveridge -- G -- Peutland
Gibson -- RFB -- Robello
Allan -- LFB -- Carnegie
Atkinson -- RHB -- Doyle
Carnihan -- CHB -- Pacheco
McGregor -- LHB -- Ekeasley
Gillespie -- OR -- Costa
Jaap -- IR -- Conn
Stark -- CF -- Dickie
Rollo -- IL -- O'Hara
Dick -- OL -- Ferreira
Goals: Jaap, Rollo 2, Dick. Referee: Fred Pepper. Linesmen: J. Harry Carpenter and William Forrest. Time of halves, 45 minutes.
With Newark presenting a club without a doubt the strongest in recent years and a lineup revamped by many new acquisitions the Jerseymen were reasonably well matched with the invades and although defeated Bethlehem had only a slight preponderance of the play.
The Steelmen invaded the lair of the New York club with a lineup which also underwent many drastic changes since the day previous. Beveridge, who in recent games has been playing under stress of injury, was given a much needed rest and in his place Johnny Horn, a local boy, former State College goalie, and more recent custodian with the Portugal team of this city, was given a trial.
Horn pleased the fans by his display of confidence and nimbleness between the uprights and two of the three goals which were scored against him might be charged to a misunderstanding with the backs. The third was a shot that would have beaten any goalie. He was not over worked in handling drives but the shots he did take care of he fielded cleanly and disposed of the ball with good judgment.
Another recent acquisition to again appear in the Bethlehem lineup was Watkins, right halfback, who played the position in the game against the Newark Portuguese game here on Saturday. Watkins, however, suffered injury and when forced to retire at the end of the first half Johnny Rollo was shifted from the forward line and Johnny Jaap injected into the lineup.
The major portion of the Jerseymen's defense lay in the brilliant playing of Marshall and Thompson, a pair of sound and strong backs. However, the latter could not cope with the speed of Gillespie and it was the Bethlehem wing forwards lighting speed which enabled him to break through the defense and account for three of Bethlehem's five goals.
When the Bethlehem team took the field they were surprised to see Cameron lineup with the opposition at inside left. Cameron, it will be recalled, came to Bethlehem with Billy Allan, a back, three or four years ago. At that time he was not quite ripe for a regular berth on the Bethlehem team and returned to Scotland where he was sought at a fancy figure by the same club on which Alec Jackson played. Later he played in Vancouver, British Columbia, and only recently returned to the States and made his first appearance with Newark on Sunday.
Another new acquisition on the Newark team was Dublennui, a former Brown University player, who was stationed at center halfback. He was tried several times by Fall River before signed by the Newark club. He proved a glutton for work and a good worker and gives promise of developing into an outstanding player.
The game was carried on at a fast pace from the start to the final whistle. Half time found Bethlehem leading by the score of 2 to 1. In the second half the Steelmen annexed three more goals while Newark fell one marker shy of duplicating the feat. The lineup:
Bethlehem -- Newark
Horn -- G -- Sousa
McDonald -- RFB -- Marshall
Gibson -- LFB -- Thompson
Watkins -- RHB -- McGrath
Carnihan -- CHB -- Dublennui
Robertson -- RHB -- Myles
Gillespie -- OR -- Tutley
Curtis -- IR -- Cameron
Stark -- CF -- Petras
Rollo -- IL -- Duggan
Purgavie -- OL - -McGowan
Goals: Gillespie 3, Curtis, Stark, McGowan, Petras, Duggan. Substitutions: Rollo for Watkins, Jaap for Rollo. Time of halves, 45 minutes.