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Major
Marindin's Engineers from Chatham were undoubtedly the best team in the
country during the first four seasons of the Cup. All their matches were
against the leading clubs like the Wanderers or the University sides,
and their remarkable record during that period included a goal-tally of
244 for and 21 against. Only three matches out of eighty-six were lost
in four years and one of those, unfortunately, was the Final of 1874.
Oxford had
always been one of the Engineers' most difficult opponents and they had
had many a closely matched contest. Beaten finalists the year before,
Oxford again swept through to the Final, where they were clearly
superior to the Engineers who were playing well below their best form.
Mackarness
sent a loose ball in under the tape following a corner-kick, to give
Oxford a 1-0 lead. The Sappers often threatened the Oxford goal, but
then Ottaway, Chappell-Maddison and Vidal rushed away with the ball and
Patton kicked a second goal for the University very soon after the
first.
The teams
changed ends again - they were obliged to after every goal -and the
Engineers were compelled to defend for some time, and though
Renny-Tailyour's shot against a post at the other end gave them a brief
respite, it was to no avail. |