Haven’t We Met Before? Walsall

Saturday 15th October 1927
Division Three (South)

Swindon Town 5-0 Walsall

Bounce-back-ability was certainly not a phrase used, or indeed around, in October 1927 but it was something that Swindon had to show following on from an abysmal 8-2 defeat at Merthyr the previous Saturday.
Three changes were made to the Town line-up including Ted Nash deputising in goal for the first time this season in place of Jack Bourne who was suffering from illness. I guess having 8-goals smacked past you can have this effect. Another newby, Brian Humphries, came in at centre-half for only his second appearance of the season.
Swindon started off brightly but there were few incidents of note. Humphries came in for some early praise as the Advertiser states, ‘he quickly won the admiration of the crowd in the way he opened out the play with a good range of passing.’ It was in fact Humphries who came closest early on when his crisp drive only narrowly missed the mark.

A Walsall counter should really have seen them take the lead. A slip on the part of the Town defence gave Moses Lane a splendid opportunity to beat Nash, but the stopper showed excellent judgement and brought off a masterly save. Town rallied and inside-right Les Roberts came close with an effort.

The game was being well contested although the football by both sides was not of the highest order.
Swindon opened the scoring on 25 minutes. Harry Morris was on hand to steer the ball past Harry Wait following good work from Joe Eddleston. Seven minutes later it was 2-0. Morris began the move by feeding Bert Denyer on the right. His pin-point centre was met by Eddleston who fastened on to
beat Wait from close range.

The game was over as a contest five minutes into the second half when Roberts scored Town’s third and insult was added to injury for Walsall when
a late brace from Morris gave the scoreline a rather emphatic look. This was Morris’s second hat-trick of the season and the fifth game in succession that he had been on the scoresheet.
This win kick-started an unbeaten run of 13 league games that was only ended at Plymouth Argyle in mid-February.

Town:
Ted Nash, Wally Dickenson, Tober Weston, David Lowe, Brin Humphries, Bob Archer, Bert Denyer, Les Roberts, Harry Morris, Joe Eddleston,
Alec Thom