Teeming with excitement every minute of play Fall River in desperate rallies twice came from the rear to knot the count and therefore remain at the head of the Atlantic Coast Soccer League as the only undefeated team.
This grueling battle was played by Bethlehem after ninety minutes of hostilities in the mud the day previous when the Steel booters again set back Pawtucket under a 3 to 2 defeat. With practically the same team that had played brilliantly against the Threadmakers, the Bethlehem booters invaded the lair of Fall River where they tackled the Marksmen at their best, the latter profiting by the fact that the club had been idle the day before.
Tom Fraser, idle in the Pawtucket game in which Andy Beveridge was assigned tot he uprights, by his great display against Fall River stamped himself as one of the best custodians in the soccer world today. His play was nothing sort of phenomenal and capping his afternoon's work by saving on a penalty taken by the sure shot McPherson.
Fraser played a combination of fullback and goalie, helping out Bethlehem's converted halfbacks who were assigned to the fullback position, on more than one occasion. Late in the second half the brilliant Bethlehemite came to grief when leaving his goal to save on a shot, he took the full force of the drive from a six yard range on his chest and was knocked down, partly unconscious. He was revived and was eager to return to his position but still wobbly from the blow was relieved by Beveridge. At the time Fraser was injured the Steelmen were leading 3 to 1. When Fraser left the field he was according a mighty ovation by the usually hostile Fall River fans.
This was not the only casualty for the Marksmen lost two of their brilliant performers, one perhaps out of the game for the remainder of the season in a bitter scrimmage in front of the goal in the closing minute of play and in which Tommy Gillespie was in the midst of a cordon of players trying desperately to notch the wining goal. Caldwell was carried off the field with a fractured leg. At the time the Fall River back was injured, Gillespie was on the ground, bowled over the by the defensive tactics of the invaders. It is presumed the Caldwell injury, an accidental kick, was inflicted by one of his mates. Earlier in the game McPherson was taken out of the game because of a leg injury.
Fall River -- Bethlehem
Reder -- G -- Fraser
McGill -- RFB -- McGregor
McAuley -- LFB -- Finlayson
McPherson -- RHB -- Reed
Priestly -- CHB -- Carnihan
Caldwell -- LHB -- Pitt
McNab -- OR - -Gillespie
Gonsalves -- IR -- Dick
Patenaude -- CF -- Stark
McAuley -- IL -- Massie
White -- OL -- Baille
Substitutions: Ballantyne for McPherson, Nilsen for White, Beveridge for Fraser, Purgavie for Ballie. Goals - - Stark, 2; Gonsalves 2; Purgavie, Patenaude. Referee -- Donaghy, New York. Linesmen - -Stone and Loftus, Fall River. Time of halves -- 45 minutes.
A header by Massie with only a few seconds to play earned Bethlehem a victory over Pawtucket in a sensational battle waged on a muddy field at Pawtucket on Saturday afternoon. The final numerals were 3 to 2 and in nosing out victorious the invaders twice had to overcome the lead of the homesters. The muddy field handicapped both teams but did not detract in the least from the game.
It was a different Pawtucket team than the one that opposed Bethlehem and lost the Saturday previous, giving the visitors a hard and tough tussle in which although defeated they lost no prestige with the home town fans. Malcolm Goldie, former Bethlehem and Fall River wing forward, was in the Pawtucket lineup and his former mates had a strenuous task trying to keep the little winger away from the goal area.
Pawtucket took the lead in the first three minutes when Jerry Best broke through after passing by Harvie and Adam. Pawtucket then held this lead until six minutes after the interval when Baillie, a newcomer to the Bethlehem tanks, got the ball into the rigging from a corner kick by Gillespie.
Twelve minutes later Pawtucket once more took the lead when Best scored another difficult goal. This lead held good until Carnihan sent the ball up the center to Archie Stark and the clever Bethlehem leader beat McArthur and sent the ball into the net to tie the count twenty-eight minutes after the restart.
With very little time to go of the regular period Bethlehem was engaged in a desperate defense in trying to stave off a Pawtucket rally. Goldie, Harvie and Bob Fleming rained shots at Beveridge but the latter stuck to his guns. Carnihan blocked two shots in as many seconds that looked like sure goals and on his last save gave a corner that was cleared by Pitt, sending it to Purgavie. Seeing Doyle out of position Purgavie passed the ball to the right to Gillespie and the latter held it just long enough for Massie to come in on the fly and then Tommy, with a clever lift, placed the gall at just the right height for Massie to head in the winning goal.
Early in the half Stark gave the home crowd a thrill as he beat Perry to cut in to make a shot at Kerr who knocked it down. Stark followed in on the shot but before he could reach the ball for a second attempt he was beaten by Bob Perry who gave a corner kick.
Baillie, the Canadian forward, who was given a trial started in both the Pawtucket and Fall River games, but in each was relieved by Purgavie. He displayed plenty of class but lacks in physique to withstand the hard going and for this reason he was released on the return for the New England trip.
The lineup:
Bethlehem -- Pawtucket
Beveridge -- B -- Kerr
Finlayson -- RFB -- Martin
McGregor -- LFB -- McArthur
Reid -- RHB -- McAvoy
Carnihan -- CHB -- Perry
Pitt -- LHB -- Doyle
Gillespie -- OR -- Harvie
Dick -- IR -- Adam
Stark -- CF -- Best
Massie -- IL -- Fleming
Baillie -- OL -- Goldie
Goals: Ballie, Stark, Massie, Best 2. Substitutions: McKechnie for Adam, Purgavie for Baillie. Referee: T. Whitaker, New Bedford. Time of halves, 45 minutes.