Match Report: Yorkshire Evening Post: 30th December 1924: Courtesy Steve Bell
CORINTHIANS IN LEEDS.
HEAVY GROUND AND A SMALL CROWD AT ELLAND ROAD.
(By "Old Ebor")
The Corinthians, who won their match with Hull City yesterday rather easily, made their first acquaintance with Leeds United on the Elland Road ground this afternoon. They have appeared before against the Yorkshire Amateurs, as will be known, and, by the way, it is possible that they may give the Amateurs a match before the season closes. A.V. Hurley, the visitors' left back, will be recognised as the former captain of Yorkshire Amateurs. The United could not play their full League team, nevertheless they had a fair side out, the names of the contestants being:-
Leeds United: Fawcett; Duffield, Spink; Baker, Hart, Atkinson; Noble, Graver, Richmond, Powell, Harris.
Corinthians: B.H. Baker; J.S. Stephenson, A.V. Hurley; J.G. Stevenson, A.C.J. German, H.F. Robinson; R.J. Jenkins, E.R.T. Holmes, F.N.S. Creek, F. Hartley, E.D. Capel-Slaughter.
The centre of the ground was in a very bad state, despite the layer of sand placed over it. There were not more than a thousand spectators at the start; but this was not surprising seeing how unfavourable the weather had been throughout the morning. The Corinthians won the toss and they had the first attack. Capel-Slaughter shooting wide in the first minutes. Hart had the first shot for Leeds - a good straight effort, which Howard Baker fielded cleanly and cleared to midfield with his kick. Fawcett of the Leeds reserves, was called upon by Creek after this, and he cleared his goal well, also repeating the feat at the expense of a corner. Then, following good play by Harris, Hart shot again for Leeds and Baker had to be smart to turn the ball away from his goal.
TYPICAL CLOSE PASSING
A typical example of the Corinthians close passing game appeared likely to produce a score; but at the critical moment their inside left got off-side. Hart skimmed the bar with another good drive for the United, who, despite occasional raids by the tourists, were having the better of the play. Howard Baker had to stop a good shot by Richmond, and he diverted another by Powell over the bar. The visitors' custodian was kept busy, but was equal to all emergencies. One save from a hot drive by Harris at close quarters was especially fine, and a like remark applies to a subsequent drive by Richmond. It was due chiefly to Howard Baker's brilliant goalkeeping that United were not a few goals up instead of having a blank sheet at half-time.
Half-time score:- Leeds United 0 Corinthians 0.
Match Report: Yorkshire Post: 31st December 1924: Courtesy Steve Bell
THE CORINTHIANS DEFEATED BY LEEDS UNITED.
BRILLIANT GOALKEEPING BY HOWARD BAKER
(From Our Football Representative)
The Corinthians renewed acquaintancies with Elland Road enclosure yesterday, this time as the guests of the Leeds United club. Of the ground itself they would have a worse impression than on occasions of matches thereon with the Yorkshire Amateurs, for the recent heavy rains had made the surface an expanse of sticky mud, a condition quite unsuited to the Corinthians' style of play, as the sequel showed. This sequel took the form of a three goals defeat
The visitors' team was changed considerably from the side that defeated Hull City by 4 goals to a goal. One of the changes was due to the accident of which G.K.M. Hilleary, their centre forward, was the victim at Hull, where he has been left to the care of friends for recovery from a broken leg. F.N.S. Creek came into the side in his place. Howard Baker displaced Murray in goal; J.S. Stephenson, the Oxford Soccer and Golf Blue and Yorkshire cricketer, and A.V. Hurley, a former Yorkshire Amateur captain, were at full back, in the places of A.G. Bower and J.S. F. Morrison; and there were also changes in the wing half backs and left wing forwards. The United, while not playing their full League side, had a good team out. They included a new goalkeeper in Fawcett, of Skinningrove, who had been playing with the Mid-Week League eleven. He was not well tested, but what he had to do was done in a workmanlike manner.
The match became practically a prolonged duel between the United forwards and Howard Baker in the Corinthians' goal. Early on there were a few examples of the Corinthians' style of midfield passing, but the ground was too sticky for progress to be made this way, and the more open style of United, with lusty kicking, enabled the home side to dominate proceedings. The Corinthians' half backs could not hold the Leeds forwards, who were admirably served by Hart, J. Baker and Atkinson, and among whom Powell, Harris and Noble were most conspicuous. Powell in especial had one of his best days. Stephenson and Hurley could not check the United's onslaughts, but in goal Howard Baker gave one of the best displays ever seen on the Elland Road enclosure. He had many shots in the first half to stop from all directions, and at more or less close quarters, but no marksman could beat him. In the second half the ball was driven past him three times, but he had no chance of stopping any of the shots; in fact, it is not too much to say that with less brilliant goalkeeping the United score of 3 goals must have been trebled.
The first goal came a few minutes after change of ends, when Powell dribbled through unaided, beat German, Stevenson and Stephenson, and from a few yards range drove hard and true into the net. Graver followed with a goal for which the preliminary moves had been made by several of his collegues, and a third point was registered by Powell from an opening well maneouvred by James Baker, Noble and Graver. Creek in this half had a chance of preventing his team's retirement with a blank score sheet, but he was unable to take it. The duties of referee were admirably discharged by W. Pratt, one of the local officials. Final score:- Leeds United 3 The Corinthians none.
Teams:-
Leeds United: Fawcett, goal; Duffield and Speak, backs; Baker (J.W.), Hart and Atkinson, half-backs; Noble, Graver, Richmond, Powell and Harris, forwards.
Corinthians: B.H. Baker, goal; J.S. Stephenson and A.V. Hurley, backs; J.G. Stevenson, A.C.J. German and H.F. Robinson, half backs; R.J. Jenkins, E.R.T. Holmes, F.N.S. Creek, F. Hartley and E.D. Capel-Slaughter, forwards.
Referee: W. Pratt, Leeds
Match Report: The Times: 31st December 1924: Courtesy Steve Bell
CORINTHIANS LOSE AT LEEDS.
Leeds United beat the Corinthians at Leeds yesterday by three goals to none. This was the first defeat that the club has so far sustained during the Christmas tour. The Cororinthians' defeat was not very surprising, as their side was far below full strength. Neither A.G. Bower nor J.S.F. Morrison was playing, and the half-back line was a comparitively new one. Leeds United on the other hand, had out quite a strong side, and thoroughly deserved their victory. They most certainly have won by a greater margin but for Howard-Baker, who excelled himself in goals, making three or four miraculous saves in the first half, apart from numerous other shots with which he contended without making a mistake. He is nearly always good but one has seldom seen him keep goal better than he did yesterday. Duffield and Speak the two Leeds backs, were especially good, and never seemed to put a foot wrong anywhere; their tackling was splendid, and they seemed to be quite at home in the mud, of which there was plenty. The Corinthians' forwards found it very difficult to penetrate this strong defence and seldom did so. The whole Leeds side played very good football and had all the better of the play.
The Corinthians have two more matches to play before their Christmas tour comes to an end. They will play Manchester United at Manchester today, and Queens Park at Glasgow tomorrow. Their forces have been somewhat depleted during the past week, owing to injuries, but they will put a strong side into the field against Queens Park as they have the services of K.E. Hegan and F.H. Ewer. Max Woosnam will play for the Corinthians today at centre half-back.
Leeds United attacked from the very beginning of the game yesterday, and soon tested Howard-Baker with several hard shots. It was said by one of the spectators that the Leeds forwards were continually shooting direct at the goalkeeper, but the speaker did not realise how excellent Howard-Baker is in anticipation. He was always in the right place, but on a great number of occasions he had started before the forward had taken his shot. Leeds United continued to press, but they could not get past Howard-Baker during the first half of the game. R.G. Jenkins got away for once for the Corinthians and put across a good centre but the inside forwards missed it and a valuable opportunity was lost. At half-time neither side had scored. After the interval the Corinthian defence, which had been very hard pressed, began to tire and Powell was allowed to race through and beat Howard-Baker from close range. Creek got away for the Amateurs soon afterwards, but left his shot too long and fell over Fawcett, who rushed out to save. Then followed two goals in quick succession. Graver and Powell, who were combining exceedingly well, being responsible for one goal each.
The teams were:- LEEDS UNITED: Fawcett, goal; Duffield and Speak, backs; Baker, Hart and Atkinson, half-backs; Noble, Graver, Richmond, Powell and Harris, forwards.
CORINTHIANS: B. Howard-Baker, goal; J.S. Stephenson and A.V. Hurley, backs; J.G. Stevenson, A.C.J. German and H.F. Robinson, half backs; R.G. Jenkins, E.R.T. Holmes, F.N.S. Creek, F. Hartley and E.D. Capel-Slaughter, forwards.
