Two more Eastern Soccer League opponents were bowled over by the Bethlehem soccer team over the weekend, the Philadelphia Centennials losing their game here on Saturday afternoon by the score of 5 to 0 and on Sunday Hispano went down to defeat at Astoria, L. I., by the score of 6 to 3.
When the roll was called for the Saturday game both Johnny Jaap and Johnny Rollo, forwards and both expected to play, were among the missing. The two front liners were taken ill over night and are confined to their bed.
Joe Morrison, a halfback, was shifted to the forward line, with Gerlach, also a Wanderer player, filling in at a wing forward. Late in the game Billy Allan replaced Gerlach on the forward line and Guerra, an El Dos de Mayo fullback, was tried out in Allan's position.
A real find brought about by the emergency seems to be the eighteen-year-old youngster, Malloy, scouted from the sand lots in the vicinity of Bayonne, N. J.
The Centennials offered only feeble resistance to the Bethlehem raids and although the locals were held to a single goal in the first half this slight margin was by no means due to any defensive barrier of the visitors. From the opening kick off until the half time whistle, Bethlehem was doing the attacking with the Phillies figuring only in an occasional breakaway.
The lone goal scored in the first half was contributed by the Messrs. Gerlach and Morrison on an attack started by Stark. The Bethlehem center forward broke through and when near the touchline flicked the ball back to Gerlach. The latter centered perfectly to the goal mouth where Morrison headed into the net.
The Phillies lost and excellent chance to equalize late in the half when on one of the few attacks McGregor accidentally handled in the penalty area. "Waddie" Jackson took the spot kick but his aim was poor and the ball went sailing high over the cross bar.
After the restart the superiority of Bethlehem was even more pronounced. The visitors minus the services of Hugh Reid, big Irish fullback who is nursing and injury, were weak on the defense. The "Cents" were further handicapped by the absence of several players and to field a complete eleven recruited Lehr and Unger, of the local Wanderer team, both playing on the forward line.
Within twenty-five seconds after the kickoff for the second half Archie Stark broke away in a solo effort, easily eluding the defense and crashed the ball into the net for the second score. A short time later Malloy tricked the defense to break through and then passed the ball up center to Massie who easily beat Green with his shot. Massie also annexed the fourth goal on a drive from about twenty yards out and Malloy counted the final score of the afternoon on a pass from Allan. The lineup:
Centennials -- Bethlehem
Green -- G -- McClure
Mulstead -- RFB -- Marshall
Chesney -- LFB -- Allan
Maxwell -- RHB -- W. Reid
Shortt -- CHB -- Carnihan
McCudy -- LHB -- MacGregor
McGrillen -- OR -- Malloy
Lehr -- IR -- Morrison
Unger -- CF -- Stark
Jackson -- IL -- Massie
Purgavie -- OL -- Gerlach
Goals -- Morrison, Stark, Massie 2, Malloy. Substitutions: Guerra for Allan, Allan for Gerlach, Kufic for Dunn. Referee: William Forrest. Linesmen: J. Henry Carpenter and Horace Williams. Time of halves: 45 minutes.
Although scored upon early in the game Bethlehem came back strong to defeat Hispano at Steinway Oval, Astoria, L. I., on Sunday afternoon by the score of 6 to 3 and thereby added two more points in the league race. The game was witnessed by more than a thousand spectators. At half time Bethlehem was leading 4 to 1 and although Hispano scored twice in the second half the locals came back every time to equal their foes success.
The Hispano team was first to score, Miller, the center forward, netting the ball on a pass from Crilley. This lead was not in force very long, for Bethlehem evened matters when Reid scored with a long shot. A few minutes later Archie Stark, Bethlehem's center forward, put his team in the lead with a brilliant goal, which followed from close play in front of the Hispano goal. Bethlehem continued to hold the balance of play in the first period and two more goals were put through by Maxwell and McGregor.
Soon after resuming, in the second period, the Hispano team was awarded a penalty, from which Crilley scored its second goal. Ten minutes later Stark increased the Bethlehem score to five with another fine shot. Hispano tried hard to shorten the disadvantage and after ten minutes Mullenstein managed to score their third goal. A few minutes later Miller almost added one more but McClure made a clever save. Before the game ended, Archie Stark scored Bethlehem's sixth goal. "Sturdy" Maxwell and Walter Jackson, former Bethlehem players, were back in harness with their old teammates. Bother players are members of the Philadelphia Club and with the "Cents" idle on Sunday were loaned for the New York game.
Hispano -- Bethlehem
Thompson -- G -- McClure
Prenter -- RFB -- Allan
Healey -- LFB -- Marshall
Mullenstein -- RHB -- McGregor
Scotland -- CHB -- Reid
Gezusmaria -- LHB -- Robertson
Solano -- OR -- Jackson
Carnegie -- IR -- Maxwell
Millar -- CF -- Stark
Patterson -- IL -- Massie
Crilley -- OL -- Malloy
Referee: M. Bloom. Linesmen: Terry and McGlone. Goals -- Hispano: Miller, Crilley, Mullenstein. Bethlehem: Reid, Stark 3, McGregor, Maxwell. Time of halves, 45 minutes.