Before the largest crowd that ever witnessed a club soccer game in Pittsburgh, the Bethlehem team defeated Braddock yesterday by 3 goals to 2. The game was the best ever played here, extra time being necessary to determine the winner.
Forbes Field, Pittsburgh
Five minutes later Stevenson kicked off Bethlehem having won the toss and chosen to defend the north goal. The visitors’ left wing was the first to get going, but Howe was on the job and cleared easily. Fleming put in a nice center, but Galbraith headed over. It was apparent that the usually reliable Braddock defense was unsettled and nervous and the forwards were too anxious. Lawler cleared from Rattray and let Fleming away, but again Fleming put bye.
Braddock then took a brace and managed to get over the center line. Whyte twice giving McMann nice passes which were caught up by the Bethlehem halves. Marshal was the first goalkeeper to be tested, Galbraith being the cause. Offside against Donaghy, robbed the visitors of a good chance and then Lawler placed a free kick beautifully into goal. Marshall caught the ball, but was bustled off sans ceremony by Lewis and the Braddock goal had a very narrow escape, Howe clearing when all seemed lost. After 12 minutes play a penalty kick was awarded against Braddock for Howe handling inside the dreaded area, and Fleming converted the kick with a hard straight shot.
Forbes Field, Pittsburgh
From the center Donaghy headed into Marshall and then Stevenson made Love get busy, followed at once by some felling work on the part of Rattray, who raised the hopes of Braddock’s supporters by giving Love the hardest shot of the game to save, the goalkeeper saving with nothing to spare. A free-kick against Bethlehem brought no result and Beadling tried a shot which Peacock returned with a huge punt. Lewis picking up and giving to Lance, who kicked too hurriedly and the ball went harmlessly past. Stevenson endeavored to open up things, but McKelvey stepped in and let Donaghy show what he could do.
After a nice piece of passing work by t he Braddock vanguard, McCann beat Love from close in, and Bethlehem saw its chances of appearing in the next round fading away, so strong was Braddock moving. Just one minute after McCann’s goal, Bethlehem was granted a free-kick 30 yards out, near the touchline. Fleming, of the golden locks, was entrusted with the kick, and, instead of centering the ball in the so-called orthodox manner, he drove direct for goal, catching Marshall unprepared, and the ball slid into the net at the near corner, the goalkeeper making a great but futile attempt to stop it. Exciting play followed.
Braddock forced a corner, but Rattray sent it wide. Fleming tried a run of his own in the closing minutes, but overran the ball. Lawler tricked several opponents and passed to Fleming, but the Bethlehem flier shot wide. When the regulation 90 minutes were up, the score was still tied and extra time was played to determine the winner.
Fleming dominated for the remainder of the time. He beat four Braddock defenders and shot hard and Marshall was luck to save his parting shot. Then the Bethlehem winger got the ball some 40 yards away, run up the field and finished with a shot that beat Marshall all the way, making his team lucky winners of the hardest game it has played in the past two years. The game finished two minutes later in Bethlehem territory.
The winners are a great eleven, admittedly, but they found their match in the opponents of yesterday. The star of the contest was Fleming, without whom the visitors would have been a beaten lot. The backs played a splendid game at all times and made few mistakes. Lawler was perhaps best of the halves, and forward the best were, after Fleming, Galbraith and Lance.
Braddock was unlucky to lose a tie that they seemed to have won in the second half. By its display against such renowned opponents, Braddock has put Pittsburgh on the soccer map for all time. Manager Trend of the Bethlehem team acknowledged that Braddock had given his eleven the hardest fight in any game in two years, and this is some compliment to the local eleven, when it is considered that Bethlehem has not lost a game this season and only lost one last year, defeating such teams as Tacony, West Philadelphia, Holyoke and others of similar class. The game was cleanly contested throughout and Braddock was defeated but not disgraced. The refereeing of I. Wilson was all that could be desired. The line-up:
BRADDOCK – 2 – BETHLEHEM – 3
Marshall – G -- Love
Blackwood – R. B. -- McKelvey
Howe – L. B. -- Peacock
Beagling – R. H. -- Stewart
Kelly – C. H. – Morrison
Whyte – L. H. -- Lawler
Anderson – O. R. -- Galbraith
Rattray – I. R. -- Lewis
Stevenson – C -- Lance
Lowther – I. L. -- Donaghy
McCann – O. L. -- Fleming
Referee – Isaac Wilson. Goals scored – Kelly, McCann and Fleming 3. Time of halves – 45 minutes.