Northern Ireland

2 - 0

England

H. Jones o.g 36

 

 

Mahood 72

 

 

Northern Ireland v England
Windsor Park, Belfast
22 October 1927

For their first match of the 1927-28 season, England travelled to Belfast with high expectations but a few fingers crossed. Their forward line had the striking power of a young Dixie Dean and the extreme pace of Hulme and Page on the wings - but injuries to Roy Goodall and Sid Bishop led to Cooper winning his first cap and the 'extraordinary' selection of Storer, who 'certainly falls a long way below what is required for international football.'

In the event, Cooper overcame a shaky start, but Storer had a shocker, and although the England wingers did well in patches, Dean missed a couple of late chances near the end - though the match had been decided by then.

It had been raining nonstop for thirty hours in Ulster, and England were expected to overrun a team with an average age of over 30. But Northern Ireland matched their tactics to the conditions, keeping the ball moving. Their defence showed 'soundness', Scott and Gillespie were still class acts at 36, and although Mahood looked slow, he did all kinds of damage, including the decisive moment of the match. With twenty minutes gone, Hufton saved a certain goal by diving at his feet - and broke his own arm. Then Hill's 'nasty leg injury' left England with nine fit men, who were run ragged on the heavy surface.

Both the Northern Ireland goals would have been stopped by a fit full-time goalkeeper. But Hufton was already handicapped when Jones deflected Irvine's shot past him, and then Ball went in goal for the second half and let Mahood's long shot drop over his head for the second. Defeat would have been even heavier if Davey hadn't missed a number of chances (though the shot by Gillespie that knocked him cold was probably accidental!).

At the other end, Hulme 'hesitated' and Earle shot wide, and since England had only four forwards, Morgan was free to man-mark Dean out of the game. Meanwhile Nuttall was 'a weak link' and Earle, one of the amateurs routinely given caps against Northern Ireland at the time, simply wasn't good enough. Along with Storer and the unlucky Ball, he wasn't capped again.

England went on to lose all three Home Internationals that season, culminating in the famous 5-1 humiliation by Scotland at Wembley. After that, no-one would have predicted that they'd remain unbeaten in Belfast for another 78 years. At least.

Match Details: Northern Ireland v England, 22 October 1927

Ireland: Elisha Scott, Andy McCluggage, Billy 'Pat' McConnell, Sammy Irving, Gerry Morgan, Tom Sloan, Jimmy Chambers, Bobby Irvine, Hugh Davey, Billy Gillespie (capt), Jackie Mahood.

England: Ted Hufton, Tommy Cooper, Herbert Jones, Harry Nuttall, Jack Hill (capt), Harry Storer, Joe Hulme, Stanley Earle, Bill 'Dixie' Dean, Jack Ball, Louis Page.

Referee: Tom Dougray (Scotland)

Attendance: 30,000