1066 Football
FA Cup, THIRD round, JANUARY 9, 1954
HASTINGS UNITED 3 - NORWICH CITY 3
WHEN Hastings drew Norwich City in the third round of the FA Cup we all hoped for , but felt we could hardly expect, as rousing a game as the Swindon epic five weeks ago. Our hopes were more than realised on Saturday, when a record crowd of 12,527 saw as thrilling a game as could be wished for.
George Peacock nearly provided a story book finish, his terrific drive hitting the crossbar with everyone beaten, and with the score at 3-3.
The Hastings and St Leonards Band provided a jaunty preliminary to the kick-off, for after "Sussex by the Sea" as the United took the field, the strains of "Who Killed Cock Robin?" reminded the Canaries that the Swindon Robins had already fallen at the Pilot Field.
Could Hastings again sweep away with that tremendous surge which carried them three-quarters of the way to victory against Swindon in the first eighteen minutes? It looked like it, for after only four minutes came a glorious move which finished with Parks hooking the ball beautifully past Oxford, who later was to prove a big obstacle to the United's endeavours to win in the second half.
This was good going, but soon things were unpleasant from the Hastings point of view - glimpses of the craft and ability latent in the Norwich team. Quick, knife-like thrusts began to find weaknesses. Neither Griffiths nor Crapper were looking comfortable at this stage -.later it was a different story - and the odds began to swing in favour of Norwich. And, after twenty-three minutes came what had appeared inevitable for some time.
Ray Barr, curiously indecisive at this stage of the game, passed back, Griffiths allowed the ball to go on towards Ball, and Brennan, as fast as he was wily, nipped first and shot from an
acute angle. Crapper tried to stop the ball but could only help it on its way into the net.
Nine minutes before half-time Norwich were ahead, Hansell scoring after a beautifully controlled run in which he left three Hastings defenders flatfooted. Hastings retaliated but this was Norwich's time, and they led 2-0, at half-time.
It could have been 2-2 for almost as the referee was about to blow for half-time, Parks was brought down in the area, but Oxford got well down to Asher's shot and saved it.
The United were quickly after the equaliser when the second-half started. They forced corners all but scored after a thrilling goal mouth scramble, and then, just when it seemed that the ball was not destined to enter the Norwich net again, there was another corner. A short pass, a quick centre, the head of Parks and it was level pegging again.
This was the signal for all out, devastating attack, and it was at once countered by rugged, unyielding defence. The Norwich attack was out of the picture. They scarcely ever had a sight of the ball.
Unfortunately after thirty-three minutes they got too much of a site of it and following a brilliant breakaway, Gavin put them in the lead.
Then five minutes from time, came one of the best goals of the match. Parks got ~the ball from a throw in, centred and- there is only one phrase, an old one, to describe the situation - like a bolt from the blue, Dickie Girling hurled himself forward , headed the ball into the net and followed it in himself.
It had been a grand game . After some shakiness in the first half, Hastings rallied furiously and all but ran Norwich off their feet.