26-11-56: Halifax Town (h) 3-1 (HT 2-1) Crowd (3,500)

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26-11-1956 Halifax Daily Courier & Guardian

Courtesy: Stephen Andrew Bell)

Senior Cup Final

For their West Riding Senior Cup final against Leeds United under the floodlights at Elland Road this evening (kick-off 7.30pm). Halifax will have Brian Shore, who scored three times for the West Riding F.A. against East Riding on Saturday, to lead their attack and Conway Smith returns at inside right to partner Hutchinson, Lonsdale (outside-left) and McCall form the left wing.

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27-11-1956 Halifax Daily Courier & Guardian

Courtesy: Stephen Andrew Bell

UNITED THE MORE PROGRESSIVE

Centre forward's goals beat Halifax Town in Senior Cup.

Opening the scoring after eleven minute's play, Halifax Town held the lead for half an hour, but were beaten 3-1 by Leeds United in the final of the West Riding County Senior Cup, played at Elland Road Ground, Leeds, last night, under floodlights. Ripley, their centre-forward, scored all the Leeds goals, writes "Hotspur."

Town, though defeated, were not disgraced, and fought well in an improved display, but in the second half the Leeds superiority told, and their repeated use of the long through balls paid off better than Town's inclination to side passing and weaving in their approach.

Thus Town, compared with United, lacked penetration, but they provided useful opposition. They were seen at their best in the first half when they moved on to the ball quickly and their wingers, Lonsdale and Hutchinson, were then more in the picture than later on.

Town took the lead when Brian Shore, who was a go-ahead, thrustful leader against the cool Charlton, provided a pass for Conway Smith to drive home a beauty into the top right-hand corner well out of Wood's reach.

In the first half, John Charles was behind many smart Leeds moves, and now and again he got in a telling shot. Later in the game less was seen of him. Left-wingman, of the fast deceptive run, proved too much for Griffiths, and he was chiefly the Leeds danger man. Ripley might have scored oftener with the chances provided. Leeds did much more shooting than Town.

Rebound

Ripley's first goal came after thirty-five minutes when he hit the rebound from a shot by John Charles.

At times the ball did not run kindly for Town but they also tangled one another by bunching when their passing had created good openings. They certainly found their men better than in some League matches lately. Both Hutchinson and Darbyshire had shots charged down. The latter again proved a fine attacking half-back and Hutchinson had more thrust and speed off the mark.

Cross shot

Charles once started a grand movement, accepted a centre in the middle and from a colleague's nodded header fired over. Almost on the interval, Leeds got the lead with a narrow angled drive from Ripley, who, when Mills had been drawn out, lobbed the ball across from a left-wing position and into goal.

Town opened promisingly after the interval and a bout of passing ended in Hutchinson testing Wood. Mills saved from Ripley before the Leeds man scored his third goal from a Charles move. His cross-shot from the right was vainly kicked at by Griffiths when the ball already looked to be in the net.

Shore had hard luck more than once. Mills and Ferguson who did well, had to receive attention during the secon half, the former when he went down in a dive to save from Meek. Both Conway Smith and Darbyshire drove wide with promising efforts, and near the final whistle Overfield flashed a shot across Town's goal face.

Encouraging

Town had given an encouraging exhibition, better teamwork than recently having been a feature. Perhaps this formation will have proved worthy of another chance in a League match.

For United, their victory in this cup final, following a "hat-trick" of wins in the last three seasons, represented a record for the competition.

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