Halifax Town's next match, with Leeds United's first eleven, at Elland Road on Monday, should be interesting. It will, at all events
give us an oppurtunity of seeing how the Town eleven compares with the first Leaguers, while the Leeds people will be able to watch
their former player, Alf, Pope, in action again. Pope I know, will be anxious to give a good account of himself against his old-club-mates.
Town have, on more than one occasion, sprung a surprise on First Division opposition in the West Riding Cup-ties, and as recently as
last season gave Huddersfield Town a fright. It was by means of a disputed penalty - after Halifax had had a penalty claim disallowed-that
Huddersfield gained the verdict. Should they succeed in defeating Leeds, the Shay team will gain considerably in prestige, and they
should make a bold bid to clear this County hurdle.
Much the superior combination, Leeds United gained a convincing 3-1 victory over Halifax Town in the first round of the West Riding
Senior Cup, at Elland Road, yesterday afternoon. In fact, had Hydes had any luck, the score against the Northern Section side would have
been far greater. It has to be said for Halifax, however, that they lost their inside-right, Smith, owing to injury, soon after the interval. A
feature of the United display was the clever work on the right flank of Makinson, Thomson and Duggan; while Holley, Trainer and Gadsby
also did well. Where the Shay men failed most was in their passes, too many of which found, the opposition. Allsop and Pope defended
well, at full back; despite the great amount of work thrown upon them, owing to their halfbacks being over-run. Hydes, Duggan and Lowe
(penalty) scored for United, and Valentine for Town.
Match Report
Halifax Courier and Guardian 05-10-1936 (Courtesy of Steve Bell
HALIFAX TOWN AT LEEDS
UNITED OPPOSED IN WEST RIDING CUP-TIE
FORWARD EXPERIMENT
Halifax Town fielded an experimental forward in their West Riding Senior Competition Cup-tie at Leeds Road, this afternoon Smith
returned in his original position at inside-right, with Goodall as his partner, and a trial was given to David Hill, from the reserves.
Another change was necessary in goal. Owen strained his groin at Hull and had to stand down, his place being taken by Collier. Leeds
United fielded quite a strong team, including well-known players in George Milburn, Holley, Duggan, Hydes and Hargreaves.
Teams:
LEEDS UNITED: Savage; Milburn (G.W.), Gadsby; Makinson, Trainor, Holley; Duggan, Thomson, Lowe, Hydes, Hargreaves.
HALIFAX TOWN: Collier; Allsopp. Pope; Watson, Craig, Thomas; Goodall, Smith, Valentine, Barkas, Hill.
There was little advantage in the toss. Town at once carried the ball down the right wing and there was a possible chance for Barkas
who got his foot to the ball close to the goal, but found Savage right in the path of his shot. Duggan was lively and in a Leeds raid he
sent in a centre but Allsop headed the ball for a corner. A moment later he blocked a shot from Lowe at the expense of a corner. Leeds,
however, kept up the pressure and after five minutes' play, Hydes, who was uncovered in the Halifax penalty area, gathered a loose ball
and beat Collier with a ground snot, which passed just inside the posts. Leeds continued to have the better of the game and Collier
made a grand save when he deflected a fast shot from Lowe over the bar. Town made a raid on the left. Hill putting across a low centre,
but Barkas was checked by Trainor in the goalmouth. There was a very small attendance and although play was fast enough, the
proceedings were rather tame. The Leeds forwards were very lively. Pope and Allsop and Town had to defend keenly. Pope and Allsop,
however, were sound, the latter twice clearing from the goal area following centres by Duggan. Smith was opening out the game with
long passes to the opposite wing, but Hill did not always respond effectively. Barkas forced a corner, but the Leeds defence was well
packed.
Half-time:
Leeds United.....3.
Halifax Town ......0
Match Report
The Halifax Daily Courier and Guardian: 6th October 1936 (Courtesy Steve Bell)
Town's West Riding Cup Defeat
Superior Attack of Leeds United
Smith injured
Scorers: Leeds United - Hydes, Duggan and Lowe (penalty). Halifax Town - Valentine
At no period of the game were Halifax Town really a match for Leeds United in the West Riding Cup-tie at Elland Road yesterday.
Leeds, who fielded a strong team, had the encouragement of an early goal, when Hydes snapped up a loose ball to scorefrom 14 yards
range, after five minutes play. Subsequently, they played with great keenness and the Town defence was fully extended, particularly on
the left, where Thomas and Pope could not hold Thomson and Duggan.
Duggan quickly increased United's lead with a brilliant cut-in which Collier, deputising in the Halifax goal for Owen, might have foiled
had he left his goal promptly. He hesitated, however, slipped and Duggan beat him with a low cross shot.
TEN MEN IN SECOND HALF
The Halifax forwards made occasional raids, but were lacking in cohesion and penetrative power, and the Leeds defence was not
hard pressed. United's third goal followed a faulty back-pass from Allsop to Collier, the latter failing to get to the ball before Lowe, whose
shot was handled by Pope on the goal-line. Lowe scored from the spot.
Any hopes of a Halifax revival were extinguished after two minutes second-half play. Smith went of with a leg injury. Town had to play
with four forwards. Goodall taking a roving commission on the right wing.
The match generally favoured the United, who should have increased. Hydes hitting the bar three times in addition to missing at least
one open goal.
Valentine succeeded in reducing the arrears when he dribbled cleverly between the two United backs from a pass by Goodall, but
Town never looked likely to recover their first half losses and, in the end, were well beaten.
UNSUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS
The match served the purpose of proving that Halifax Town are not likely to solve their wing forward problems from the reserve material
already at the club's disposal. Hill, who was tried on the left wing, lacks experience and was no match for George Milburn, while Goodall,
on the other, was slow.
Smith, however, gave a pleasing display in the first half, using the cross-pass to good effect, while Barkas made praiseworthy efforts,
together with Watson, to infuse constructive skill into the Halifax attack.
In the abscence of pace and incisiveness in wing play, however, Town were a patchy attacking force, and Valentine never received
adequate assistance.
The Town defence was below form. Thomas could not check the moves of Thomson, who gave the fullest scope to Duggan, the
outstanding forward on both sides. Pope had a gruelling afternoon, but Allsop put up a splendid defence and was quite a match for
Hargreaves.
Collier appeared somewhat nervous in the first half hour and might have prevented at least one of the Leeds goals. In the second half,
however, he gave a clever display, and the whole has no reason to be discouraged about his debut with the first team
It was clear that most of the Leeds side were playing for their positions in the League team, so keenly did they strive. Milburn, Trainer
and Holley were excellent in defence, while Thomson and Duggan proved a brilliant right wing pair. Teams:
Leeds United: Savage: Milburn (G.W.), Gadsby; Makinson, Trainer, Holley; Duggan, Thomson, Lowe, Hydes and Hargreaves:
Halifax Town: Collier: Allsop, Pope; Watson, Craig, Thomas; Goodall, Smith, Valentine, Barkas and D. Hill.
- T.T. Dickinson "Pioneer"
