Everton's Impressive Form
IMPRESSIVE EVERTON FORM
Derby County 0 Everton 1 (F.A. Cup Game 152)
January 9 1939.
The Liverpool Daily Post By Stork.
Outstanding Men in Great Game
Derby County have never won the cup, and never will if they allow a single goal to play such havoc with their nerves. This was their year said the wiseacres yet they went out at the first obstacle because they became jumpy and all too desperate after the goal by Boyes, who scored at the fifty-second minute. This was the decisive factor in Everton’s cup victory.
Derby County were beaten from the point; the very though of that goal act into their hearts which up to then had been carefree. The burden of it lay heavily on their shoulders, and their desperate football was not the type to help them wipe it out of their memory, and they played the rest of the game as though they had leaden feet and no fire in their make-up. Boye’s goal was a cup winner from the moments it left his head, for never again did we see those flectfooted runs of the County wing men, and the longer the game progressed the more Everton became masters of the situation. It was a magnificent victory on a ground which was very soon a welter of mud, more suitable, to Derby than Everton but the crack-set forwards acknowledged the best ‘’five’’ in the County,, were spilt as under on Everton’s defensive rocks.
Never has the Everton defence showed up in such a strong light. Small Crowd every player deserved great credit for the way they fought on the ankle-deep mud, and although only one goal, was scored there was plenty of goals incident to keep the amazingly small crowd on their toss.
Here were the two top teams of the League fighting out a cup battle with the small crowd of 23,237 people paying £2,197. That was the only disappointing note of the match at least from an Everton standpoint. Contrary to expectations, Everton lasted the pace better; they were endowed with greater stamina but even allowing for that, I think it was Boyes goal, which was the deciding factor. Up to then the County had been a dangerous force with their sweeping ways, but even when they were hitting the Everton defence some mighty blows, their wing men, Duncan and Crook,, had been effectively handled and McCulloch was completely clamped down to making passes.
I think he had one shot which went wide. Just think of it half an hour play had seen Sagar without a shot. Whereas Boulton had been fairly busy. Gillick had bad luck with a shot that Boulton could not hold, Stevenson gliden a ball just outside the upright.
He should have scored-and Nicholas had headed out a Bentham effort from under his bar with the goalkeeper beaten. Then came a complete chance about. Derby desired an interval lead, and for ten minutes before the break they promised to get it. They swarmed round the Everton goal, and Dix had a header kicked off the line by Mercer. Sagar saved at the foot of the post and Hann actually hit the upright, the ball coming out to Jones to clear.
Hectic Derby Spell

It was a nerve-wracking for an Everton people but this hectic Derby spell only balanced Everton period of mastery just beforehand. So the teams turned round all square. It was anyone’s game and I though that a goal, no matter which way it went, would carry the day. It did and the most satisfying feature was that the goal, was clean-cut.
No debatable point, about it only admiration for the manner of its making. It was a four-suit piece. Mercer to Gillick, the scot to Bentham, and Bentham centre right across goal. The Derby goal area was fairly, well packed, but the ball soared over the head of Nicholas, and Boyes jumping forward, headed the ball to the left of Boulton a outstretched hand and into the net.
A bonny goal to say the least. Derby were finished with. They became over anxious, which did not upset, the Everton team in the slightest: in fact it had the reverse affect. They took charge, and the County’s prospect of an equaliser became increasingly less for Everton looked more capable of scoring goals than their opponents. The Derby supporters kept calling, ‘’we want one,’’ but it must have fallen on deaf ears, for they got no answer, and, in the end the leaders were a well and truly beaten team. The referee handled the game well, with one exception. Bailey the centre-half, was repeatedly infringing the rules against Lawton, who would, I think have scored a couple of goals, but for that. He was once closing in, and had passed Bailey, to be suddenly pulled up by Bailey grabbing him by the jersey. Half a dozen times he elbowed Lawton off the ball. He made no pretence to play football, his one idea, apparently being to stop Lawton.
He was entitled to do that it must be done fairly.
Mercer The Star

Mercer had the best game ever, He did two men’s work, and one of his missions was to keep an eye on Dix the Derby ‘’key’’ man, Dix had a good first half, but was not seen afterwards, thanks to Mercer, the out standing man of the match.
It was not my intention to single out any one player, but I must say that Everton’s half-backs were the keynote of their success, with the backs playing their part in the grand victory, a victory over the favorites. The inclusion of Stevenson at the eleventh hour was good news.
His knee which was heavily bandaged stood the strain wall and what a strain it must have been on with a surface, and not until some few, minutes from the end was he troubled, and than it was an attack of cramp which got him, Stevenson’s inclusion brought the left wing more into the game, for Boyes, without striking his best form, was infinitely better than for some weeks. Lawton had a better game against Bailey then McCulloch had against Jones, but the right wing was Everton’s striking point.
Now for the next round. Result Derby County nil Everton 1. Teams Derby County:- Boulton goal, Nicholas, and Rowe, backs, Hann, Bailey and ward, half-backs, Crooks, Ashley, McCulloch, Dix and Duncan, forwards. Everton: - Sagar, goal, Cook and Greenhalgh, backs, Mercer, Jones, and Thomson (captain) half-backs, Gillick, Bentham, Lawton, Stevenson, Boyes, forwards. Referee Mr. H.H.Jewell (London)