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