26-12-39: Bury (h) 4-4 (HT 3-1) Crowd (3,500)

Match Report: Yorkshire Post 27th December 1939

LOCAL ASSOCIATION RIVALS DRAW "FULL HOUSE"

Last Kick Thrill at Elland Road

UNITED SPARKLE AND FADE

Christmas matches had been eagerly awaited by Association clubs in the expectation that the holidays would bring crowds much in excess of the Saturday war-time "gates", which remain obstinately and unaccountably small. Hopes of appreciable revenue, unfortunately, were in most cases disappointed, though there were exceptions. The Sheffield clubs, had an outsize Christmas Box at Bramall Lane on Christmas Day, when the permitted limit of 15,000 was reached and the gates were closed, the Manchester rivals drew 8,000 at the City ground, and Leeds United shared in a "gate" of over 7,000 at Bury, where wartime attendances have been quite good. This crowd was almost as big as that at Llverpool for the local Derby with Everton. The England International half-back, Welsh, now playing centre-forward for Charlton, helped himself to four goals against Clapton Orient. Another p|ayer to score four goals yesterday was the former Leeds United and Huddersfield Town centre, David Mangnall, now playing again for Queen's Park Rangers, who beat; Portsmouth 5-2. The previous day against Fulham, Magnall had scored three goals in the Rangers' 8-3 victory. Having been beaten at Bury on Christmas Day, chiefly because of bad finishing after clever approach work, Leeds United set about their Lancashire, rivals in grand style in the return match at Elland Road yesterday. For the first, twenty minutes, United quite outplayed their visitors and scored three times without reply. Powell and Cochrane were a sheer delight to watch on the right wing, their quick, snappy, passing and their masterly footwork tricking the Bury defenders repeatedly and earning rapturous applause from the spectators. Powell started, the scoring by pouncing on the ball when Gemmell, the Bury left back, headed it on to the ground; McGraw followed up, with a magnificent twenty yards run and a powerful shot while going at top speed and Henry scored the third goal after a thrilling tussle with the right back and goalkeeper.

Jack Milburn Reappears

Jack Milburn by permission of Norwich City, made a welcome reappearance at right back in the absence of Goldberg, who strained an ankle at Bury-not serious-and was very like his old popular self. Whether the Leeds players slackened up in the belief that they had the game well in hand, or whether the speed and keenness of their dazzling opening had taken, too much out of some of the players it is difficult to say, but from this point Bury, began to gain the upper hand. Hulbert, the Bury inside right, who throughout, was commendably constructive, reduced arrears before the interval, and making a wonderful fight of it, the visitors ran the Leeds defence off their legs in the second half. The Leeds wing-halves faded right out, and Powell was handicapped by an injury and with goals by Burdett (2) and Carter, Bury actually took the lead, their fourth goal coming five minutes from the finish. Then in a rouslng rally by United, Cochrane equalised with the last kick of the match.