Swindon outplay Italians to win cup
ARTHUR HORSFIELD IS ON THE MARK
WITH THREE GOALS
SWINDON
4
A. S. ROMA 0
by Clive King
THREE goals from inside right
Arthur Horsfield and one from left winger Don Rogers enabled Swindon to
become the first holders of the League Cup Winners' Cup at the County
Ground, Swindon, last night.
The Town carried off the new
trophy and winners' gold medals with a 5-2 aggregate from their two
matches against the Italian League Cup holders, AS Roma, who won the
first "leg" 2-1 in Rome on August 27.
It was fully expected that the Roma side would concentrate
on a defensive pattern to guard the narrow lead they built up in the
first leg but whatever intentions they had in this direction were
negatived by a Swindon goal in the fifth minute.
Both goalkeepers were soon in action, with Swindon's
Downsborough having to drop quickly on a swift ground shot from the
highly-priced Landini, and Ginulfi rushing out to be injured in whipping
the ball off the foot of Rogers
Then, after five minutes, the busy Smart found Smith with a
short pass on the left-wing. The outside-right ignored the fact that
left-back Trollope had raced up for an overlap and instead, drove an
angled cross into the Roma penalty area.
IT STUNNED THEM
The pace of the ball off the rain-greased surface beat an
attempt by Carpenetti to cut out the pass, and Horsfield was able to
chest the ball down and stroke it past Ginulfi.
The goal seemed to stun the Italians and their struggle to
find a rhythm was made even harder by some first-rate football from the
Town.
After Noble had sent a shot across the face of their goal,
however, the Italians showed that they had not just come for the ride.
From a clever move started by the aging but still brilliant Piero,
Cordova drove a fierce shot just wide of the Town goal in the 11th
minute.
If Swindon were worried about the capabilities of their
young centre-half Blick, who took the place of the injured Burrows, they
need not have done. Carefully covered by left-half and skipper Harland -
who had a great match - Blick came through this tremendous test with
flying colours.
Ginulfi made rather easy work of a header by Noble in the
20th minute and then his opposite number, Downsborough made a great save
from Landini.
The Roma inside-right spun on a throw-in to hammer a
half-volley goalwards, but Downsborough was across the goal to the shot
in an instant and turned the ball round the near upright.
SUBSTITUTE ON
Despite the rapidly changing fortunes, the first half
never really seemed to produce the kind of exciting action one might
have expected from such an encounter , but this was to change
drastically in the second half.
With substitute Braglia on for centre-forward Enzo, Roma
looked to be settling down into a better rhythm during the opening
moments of the second half.
Downsborough had to make a good diving save from a shot as
Capello and then Cordova only just failed to get in a telling shot after
avoiding three tackles in the 51st minute.
The Town goalkeeper, who had a fine game, then made two
more creditable saves from shots by Braglia and Bet.
Roma brought on their second substitute, Salvori, in the
place of Landini in the 66th minute in an attempt to get back into the
game but it was a move which paid no dividend.
HORSFIELD AGAIN
It was the Town who scored in the 70th minute, and again
the marksman was Horsfield.
Noble did well to keep possession in the inside-left
position, despite several lunging tackles on him, and crossed the ball
over the Italians' penalty area. Although not given much time, Horsfield
brought the ball down cleanly and swept it past Ginulfi.
Then, within two minutes, a third Swindon goal hit all the
remaining fight out of the Roma side.
The ever-dangerous Rogers suddenly appeared in the
inside-left position to gain possession in mid-field and move across to
the right. Before the Roma defence really knew what was happening, the
Town winger released a superbly-placed drive which sped past the fingers
of the diving Ginulfi.
NEARLY ALL TOWN
From then on, it was nearly all Swindon, although
Downsborough was tested by shots from Capello and Braglia the clever and
determined covering of the home team gave little away.
With their supporters clamouring for the final whistle to
be blown, the Town made victory even more convincing with a fourth goal
a minute from the end.
Rogers slid through a 'peach' of a pass to Horsfield and
the inside-right had little difficulty in registering his third goal of
the match.
All that was left was for captain Stan Harland to accept
the trophy to crown a great team performance by the Town.
Swindon Town: Downsborough; Thomas,
Trollope; Butler, Blick, Harland; Smith, Horsfield, Smart,
Noble, Rogers.
AS Roma: Ginulfi; Spinosi, Carpenetti; Scaratti, Bet,
Santarini; Peiro, Landini (Salvori), Enzo
(Braglia), Capello, Cordova.
Referee: Mr. B. De Marchi (Italy).
Attendance: 11,978
Receipts: £8,794 19s
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