Matches 5-7: Our story of the 1922/23 Championship winning season continues with matches against two other North West sides no longer in the Football League.
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Nelson travelled to Bower Fold for the return match with Stalybridge as league leaders, but Celtic, with the wind behind them, began eager to knock them off their perch. The home side forced a series of corners, creating clear chances from two of them, but Wordley fired one narrowly wide while Sambrooke forced a tremendous save from Birds who touched his header over the bar.
 | Bower Fold, home of Stalybridge Celtic * |
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Following these scares Nelson briefly threatened at the other end. McCulloch forced home keeper Lonsdale into action, and Hoad and Wolstenholme narrowly missed the target. On the half hour Eddleston did find the net, but Celtic were awarded a free-kick for offside. From the restart they surged forward and played a ball into the danger area which Lilley only succeeded in steering past Birds into his own net.
Nelson's misfortune was compounded just two minutes later when Sambrooke scored a second for the home side after connecting with Harrop's cross. Stalybridge stepped up the pressure even further through to half-time, and only resolute defending from the Blues kept the score down.
With the wind in their favour in the second half, Nelson began in more positive fashion. Lonsdale saved a long shot from Wilson, palmed a free-kick away from a corner, and twice denied fierce drives from Eddleston. At the other end, Birds kept out a cross shot from Sambrooke, but Nelson continued pressing and the keeper performed more heroics to keep Wolstenholme out twice.
It wasn't to be for Nelson though, and their sluggish first half showing ultimately proved to be their downfall. To complete a miserable afternoon, Hoad was stretchered off and taken to hospital after a clash with Lockett late on. Their brief tenure at the table top had ended.
| | Match 5 summary: Saturday 16th September 1922 | | | Stalybridge Celtic | (2) 2 | Nelson | (0) 0 | | Lilley o.g., Sambrooke | | | | Stalybridge: T.S. Lonsdale, F. Broadhurst, W. Dennis, J.M. Carney, H.E. Tyler, H. Lockett, H. Stafford, J. O'Kane, C.L. Sambrooke, E.H. Wordley, G.H. Benson | Nelson: Joseph BIRDS, Bob LILLEY, Clement RIGG, David WILSON, Ernie BRAIDWOOD, Jimmy BROADHEAD, Sid HOAD, Arthur WOLSTENHOLME, Joe EDDLESTON, Mike McCULLOCH, Bob HUTCHINSON
Attendance: Unknown |
Nelson welcomed unbeaten Southport to Seedhill hoping to preserve their 100% home record, but the visitors were quickest out of the blocks. Oxley was causing Rigg problems down the flanks, and only his poor final balls in ensured Nelson's escape. However, against the run of play, Eddleston nearly opened the scoring for the Blues. With only Halsall to beat he lost control of the ball, allowing the keeper to dive in and claim the ball. Although Nelson claimed the keeper had committed a foul in doing so, no penalty was forthcoming.
Southport almost took the lead through Glover, who fended off the attentions of Wilson to fire a superb shot towards goal which Birds brilliantly turned around the post. Nelson gradually upped the tempo though, and, following a header from Wolstenholme which went narrowly wide, took the lead in controversial fashion.
Black, deputising for the injured Hoad, was having a purple patch, and he sped down the wing before crossing for McCulloch to poke home. Despite the ball appearing to have travelled beyond the byline before it was delivered into the middle, the referee allowed the goal to stand, much to the disgust of the Southport backline. Soon after Eddleston forced Halsall to deflect his shot over the bar, but it remained 1-0 at the break.
Following their fortuitous opener, Nelson completely dominated the second half, and made the game safe when McCulloch secured his and Nelson's second of the afternoon, following a neat pass from Eddleston, who himself had Nelson's best subsequent chance when hitting the post.
Bar the first quarter of an hour, Nelson controlled the game and deservedly claimed their fourth consecutive home victory without conceding a goal. The result moved them up one place to fifth in a congested table.
| | Match 6 summary: Saturday 23rd September 1922 | | | Nelson | (1) 2 | Southport | (0) 0 | | McCulloch 2 | | | | Nelson: Joseph BIRDS, Bob LILLEY, Clement RIGG, David WILSON, Ernie BRAIDWOOD, Jimmy BROADHEAD, John BLACK, Arthur WOLSTENHOLME, Joe EDDLESTON, Mike McCULLOCH, Bob HUTCHINSON | Southport: W. Halsall, W.H.A. Greatorex, J. Marshall, T. Sinclair, W. Little, R.L. Abram, R.L. Oxley, J.P. Sibbald, J.W. Glover, H. Rigsby, T. Green
Attendance: 7,500 |
Southport went into the return match at Haig Avenue confident of turning around the previous week's result, which they attributed in part to the narrowness of the Seedhill pitch hindering their wing play.
It was a poor first half without too much incident. The dangerous home forward Glover was kept quiet by an excellent Braidwood, and Wilson had his wing man under control. Lilley and Rigg were also playing so well that Birds was virtually a spectator in the Nelson goal. At the other end, Halsall too was rarely called into action as most of the play revolved around the midfield area.
The game sparked into life in a two minute period midway through the second half. Greatorex kicked out at Nelson forward McCulloch, and a number of players reacted angry, having to eventually be separated by the referee. Surprisingly Greatorex was only booked for his misdemeanour, but from the resultant free kick Eddleston burst through on goal before rounding Halsall and slotting into the empty net.
Glover almost stole an equaliser for the home side in the final minute after breaking free, but fired wide of Birds' goal. Nelson had completed the double over Southport, and in doing so moved back to the top of the division.
| | Match 7 summary: Saturday 30th September 1922 | | | Southport | (0) 0 | Nelson | (0) 1 | | Eddleston | | | Southport: W. Halsall, W.H.A. Greatorex, J.A. Fay, T. Sincalir, W. Little, J. Marshall, R.L. Oxley, J.P. Sibbald, J.W. Glover, H. Rigsby, S.H. Bithell | Nelson: Joseph BIRDS, Bob LILLEY, Clement RIGG, David WILSON, Ernie BRAIDWOOD, Jimmy BROADHEAD, John BLACK, Arthur WOLSTENHOLME, Joe EDDLESTON, Mike McCULLOCH, Bob HUTCHINSON
Attendance: 5,000 |
* The aerial shot of Stalybridge's Bower Fold ground from 1922 is taken from the 'Groundtastic' website. Click the link to visit: http://www.groundtastic.ukgateway.net/index.htm
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