Watford St Mary's 3 Sun Engraving 2             Watford Medal Final              1933/34

Sun Engraving's defeat after extra time

Watford St Mary's 3 (Hamilton, Smith 2)......Sun Engraving 2  (Hindley, Southam)

After their convincing display in the semi-final the previous week, Sun Engraving were expected to prove successful in winning the Watford FC Medal Competition final for the first time on Monday evening at Vicarage Road.
Unfortunately Davies, centre half, and Brown, centre forward, two of their most talented players, were unable to turn out owing to injuries, and after extra time Watford St Mary's won the cup by the odd goal in five.
The game was hard fought, and there was little between the teams.
All the Watford FC directors were present, and after the match the chairman, Mr J Kilby, presented the cup to St Mary's captain, C Martindale, and medals to all the players of both sides.
Mr H W Flint, Chairman of the committee of the competition expressed the clubs' appreciation of he interest of Watford FC.
Fortunes fluctuated from start to finish and one could never be sure which way the advantage was likely to go.
St Mary's made a flying start by getting two opportunist goals in the early stages.
Sun Engraving, however, fought back strongly, and levelled the scores before half time, and seemed likely to win, but fell away and allowed the Saints to dominate most of the second half.
St Mary's could not crown their clever approach work by accurate finishing, and, in a final spurt the Sun all but forced victory.
The extra time found both teams tired, but there was no lack of keenness, and after thrills in each goalmouth, St Mary's snatched a winning goal and carried off the trophy for the third time since its inception in 1926/27.
Had the Sun Engraving attack been led by brown, whose deadly finishing was a feature of the semi-final, with Davies as pivot, they would have probably have gained a comfortable victory.
Cartwright proved no match for Floyd, and the losers neglected the obvious move of transferring Southam, their most useful attacker, to centre forward.
The Sun halves excelled in a constructive sense, Green being perhaps the best half back afield, but the rearguard lacked understanding.
St Mary's defence played splendidly, and the halves were a dogged rather than clever trio.
Sears and Hamilton worked the ball well, and Smith was a lively leader of the attack, his last goal being a fine effort.
Had St Mary's shot as accurately as they passed, J Trevers would have had a hectic evening in the
Sun Engraving goal, but the winners' forwards were generally disinclined to have a go at goal until within very close range.
It must be recorded that two of the St Mary's goals had a distinct flavour of offside, and there were two instances of hands n their penalty area which escaped punishment when they scarcely deserved to do so.
Cartwright shot over and G Trevers sent wide in an early series of attacks by the Sun, whose defence was holding up the St Mary's vanguard well.
J Trevers came out to effect two good clearances, but in a goalmouth scramble Hamilton gave St Mary's the lead.
Smith put through a second from a pass by R Martindale, from which he appeared to be offside, but there was no appeal by the Sun.
Southam scored a curious goal for the Sun: gaining possession almost on the goal line and two or three yards from the post, he drove the ball across the goal and en route it hit G Martindale on the leg and was diverted into the net.
During warm pressure by the Sun, G Martindale handled in front of goal but the punishment of a penalty was not inflicted by the referee.
Hindley equalised by heading in a fine centre by Southam, this being easily the best goal yet scored.
The second half started dully, the first thrill coming when Smith pulled the ball into the net from a centre by Quint.
Floyd grazed the bar with a fast drive.
J Trevers saved well in the Sun Engraving goal during a determined siege by St Mary's, who forced the pace and were the better side in nearly every department.
G Trevers, who moved to inside right, nearly scored when the Sun broke through, but Eames tipped over with fine judgment.
Another case of "hands" in the St Mary's box went unchecked by the referee, and G Trevers shot poorly with a splendid opening.
Both teams were tired, and the extra time began in scrappy fashion.
J Trevers saved well for the Sun, and G Martindale kept out a scoring shot by Southam.
The Sun goal had a lucky escape with Trevers out of goal, a defender relieving a half minute's tension by clearing to the wing.
Smith scored in the second half of the addendum after a smart burst following a pass by Bull, who certainly seemed to have been just offside when the ball was passed to him.

Sun Engraving.- J Trevers; Smith, Price; Green, Little, Brooks; G Trevers, Hindley, Cartwright, Hunt, Southam.