Last season's and this season's runners-up for the Wiltshire Cup, qualified to meet each other in the final round of the Cup presented by Messrs Morris Bros'., the proprietors of the "Swindon Advertiser." The competition has always been a popular one, but since the season in which the Casuals (among whom were such players as Archie Bown, Geo Oakley, "Hereford" Jones, Ernie Toombs, and E. Popham) beat Even Swindon United, has there been such a splendid final as was the case on Good Friday. The Swindon Town Football Company were good enough to grant the use of their ground for the match - thereby ensuring a good "gate," and the funds of the competition are bound to be placed in a healthy state by the attendance of upwards of 2,000 spectators. The colours of the competitors - bright green for Wootton Bassett and blue and white for Haydon Street - were fairly displayed and additional "tone" was given to the match by the presence of the Wootton Bassett Town Band. Whether "See the Conquering Hero Comes" in the Band's repertoire remains the secret of the performers - anyway there was no call for the stirring choral-march; Haydon Street were happy without It. The crowd was one of the keenest, and, withal, the noisiest, our representative has seen at the County Ground all the season. There was no mistaking the enthusiasm of Haydon Street's supporters, but the Bassett followers came in a good second. Mr. Len Dodson, who refereed, made a start in good time, the players lining out thus.—Wootton Bassett—Rowse, goal; Major and Pearce backs; Hutchings, Robinson, and Hawe, half-backs; Popham, Fry, Looker, Oakley and Smithson, forwards. Haydon Street— Phillips, goal; Tylee and Powell, backs; Howard, Trafford, and Richens, half-backs: Birkwood, Willis, Hayward, Thomas and Turner, forwards. The "Boys in Green" went off with a rare bat at the start, Popham and Fry doing nice work on the right wing; Richens, Trafford, and Powell were coolly repellent, however, and with a free-kick allowed against Robinson, Wootton Bassett had themselves to defend. As a matter of fact, Powell drove the ball hard against the Wootton Bassett crossbar, and Thomas getting to the re-bound, sent in a good shot which Rowse saved very nicely. These were smart efforts and put Haydon Street on good terms with themselves. Neither side made much progress from free kicks, but Haydon Street became so persistent that Rowse had to resort to lifting a shot from Thomas over the bar. Hutchings clearing the subsequent corner-kick. When a moment later, Birdwood [Birkwood] dashed up and headed the ball into goal as it arrived from Thomas's centre, there was an exultant yell from the Haydon Street folk, who, however, promptly agreed with Referee Dodson that Birkwood was badly offside. Wootton Bassett were now hard put to - only to develop the really good defensive qualities of Pearce and Hawe; these two broke up the attack and set their own forwards at work. Smithson slammed the ball across to Looker, who (closely shadowed by Trafford) put in a lovely shot; this Phillips hooked down, but could not clear, and it was stroke of real luck for Haydon Street that Powell was near enough to tap the ball off the toes of Fry. By way of compensation, Robinson was equally fortunate with a clearance at the other end, and with a little crowd of the "Diddlers" surging around him. The leather was promptly returned to the Wootton Bassett goal, and Hayward sent in a stinging shot; Rowse was on it like a flash of lightning, making a splendid "save," at full length, only to have the mortification of seeing the ball strike the upright and trickle over the goal line. Such was the effect of this goal that Haydon Street kept the Bassett men well in their own half for the next six minutes, and a climax was reached when Hayward dashed through and looked a certain scorer, when he was illegally grassed. "Penalty'' said the referee, and penalty it was; Hayward, moreover, scored from the kick. Major, Pearce, and Robinson, Hutchings and Hawe, were soon busy defending again, but at length Wootton Bassett's forwards made progress. Smithson, Oakley, and Looker doing well. Smithson forced a corner, and Popham made a nice run, which was attended with considerable danger for Haydon Street until Tylee summarily settled matters by flooring Popham with a good solid charge. Trafford got in several sly fouls which, fortunately, for Haydon Street, were undetected by the referee. The Bassett forwards were now playing more steadily, and, beating the nippy Haydon Street halves by dint of clever passing reached the goalmouth, where Phillips cornered to prevent a score by Fry. Then came an exasperating failure by Looker to accept a grand middle by Smithson - a goal thrown away. Haydon Street were not content to let Bassett monopolise the attack; indeed they went at it harder than ever, Rowse having to save from Turner, and Richens landing a free kick on the "roof". Wootton Bassett tried splendidly to place a different complexion upon the game, and Oakley might have succeeded had not the game been stopped because Tylee was laid out in collision with the Town Reserve player. The Haydon Street goal afterwards had two very narrow escapes, but there was a corner wrung from Pearce at the other end before the half time whistle sounded. The score was then: Haydon Street 2 Wootton Bassett 0.

Dashing off at great pace on resuming, Wootton Bassett deserved a goal in the first minute, Phillips being either decidedly fortunate or extremely clever to take the ball off Looker's toe when that player had got clear of the backs. Bassett also took a corner, and, well backed by grand work on the part of Pearce, Wootton Bassett surged like a storm around the Haydon Street goal. They could not get the better of the "Diddlers", however, for although on one occasion Tylee nearly headed through his own goal (luckily for him, Phillips was on the qui-vive!), the Haydon Street backs and halves worked grandly. In addition to this, Wootton Bassett's shooting was far from accurate. Fry made two dogged efforts to force himself through, but try as they would, Bassett could not break down the splendid defence of the Wilts Cup finalists. Popham required the trainer's aid when Powell had rudely grassed him, but he soon recovered sufficiently to swing across a lovely centre, which, like another from Smithson, made the Haydon Street defenders look lively. More danger followed when a free kick was allowed against Trafford for fouling Oakley, but in this, and in the scramble which followed, a corner well placed by Smithson, the "Diddlers" defence never wavered. Then, for the first time since the interval, Haydon Street crossed the half-way line, Thomas trying the effect of a long shot, which Rowse prevented from sneaking just inside the post. The best shot of the match came just after wards, for upon Ponham running well and forcing a corner, Oakley plugged in a crashing shot which Phillips stopped in grand fashion. There was no doubt about Wootton Bassett holding the whip hand since the interval. Haydon Street were being subjected to a continual bombardment. They rose to the occasion and either Powell, Phillips or Tylee would prove an insurmountable stumbling block to Bassett's best efforts. Presently the siege was raised, Haydon Street were over the half-way line for the second time! Birkwood ripped across a nice centre, which Robinson cleared, but Major was not so successful in tackling Smithson, for he centred the ball right into his own goal. This was a big slice of luck for Haydon Street, and they grasped it with both hands, for although Rowse effected a brilliant save of Haydon Street's first shot, he was unable to prevent Willis driving the ball home. With 3-0 against them and only ten minutes to go, Wootton Bassett's case was now hopeless. Nevertheless, Fry, Oakley, and Looker made big efforts to retrieve the fallen fortunes. Haydon Street came again, though, and after Rowse had once staved off disaster giving a corner, Birkwood, quick to snatch at an opening, had the satisfaction of further increasing his side's lead. Play ran in somewhat even grooves for the remainder of the game, which ended: Haydon Street 4 Wootton Bassett 0.

Credit: Swindon Advertiser, Friday 28th April 1905
Last modified on Thursday 4th February 2021 at 16:25