AEC win 9 goal cup thriller (Saturday 23rd January, 1960)
A controversial, last gasp goal gave the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) a thrilling 5-4 extra time victory in the third round of the Middlesex Intermediate Cup. Two goals in the last seven minutes turned this remarkable game on its head and sent the slightly fortunate Southall side into the last eight.
Arriving at the AEC's works ground unbeaten all season, Alperton Old Boys were barely ten minutes away from booking their place into the next round and were, for large periods of this contest, much the better team. However, it was the vehicle manufacturing works team, led by skipper and left back Don Hill, who flew out of the blocks most quickly, catching their illustrious opponents from North West London off guard after only three minutes with a goal from Skinner. Indeed, although Alperton regained parity almost immediately, AEC's thirty goal hit man Jack Bailey restored the home team's lead. So often AEC's hero this season, Bailey would play a definitive role in deciding this contest later in the day.
Alperton soon showed why they, along with league leaders Southall Corinthians, were one of the top teams in Middlesex amateur football that season. Two well worked goals gave Alperton a 3-2 lead as both teams left the heavy clay laden field and headed for the home side's ornate 1930s sports pavilion for half time refreshments.
The away team were untroubled for the remaining part of the game and seemed destined to see the game out quite comfortably. The company made famous for making London's Routemasters seemed to have run out of gas. At least it appeared so, until the 80th minute when that man Bailey stunned Alperton again with a dramatic equaliser out of the blue. With the scoreboard beneath the pavilion gable showing 3-3 after 90 mins, the two mud splattered teams swapped ends and headed into extra time. Nearly halfway through extra time the visitors restored their lead, only for Smallbones to equalise for the black and white squares.
It was then in the final seconds of the game, with the referee's whistle primed to his lips to blow for full time, that this dramatic contest was finally decided. A diagonal pass into the visitor's half released the ever dangerous Bailey. Ignoring Alperton's desperate appeals for offside, he was able to pull the ball back for the onrushing Skinner to gleefully slam the ball into the back of the net and send the Southall side into the next round.
The AEC would go on to meet St Cuthbert's in the quarter finals of the cup. The game was another high scoring affair, with AEC overcoming their South West Middlesex hosts 5-3 and Jack Bailey completing a memorable hatrick. Bailey's third goal was his 13th cup goal in four rounds. Dave Moulson and man of the match Johnny Cuff added AEC's other two goals.
However, a semi-final date with Enfield Reserves would prove to be a bridge too far for AEC, as the black and white squares crashed out of the cup 3-0. The 1959-1960 season, which marked the AEC's team's thirtieth anniversary, proved to be a season of near misses, with the side also just missing out on the Great Western Combination League title to local rivals Southall Corinthians. However, one major highlight of the season was undoubtedly AEC's 3-1 victory away to the eventual league champions, a victory that ended their rival's 20 game unbeaten run.
John Porter
Follow @JohnPorterSport
Memory added on February 25, 2014
Comments (Add your voice)
No comments have yet been added to this memory.
