The Thistle Archive

Media report

GREAT DISPLAY BY PARTICK THISTLE. The Scots played their way to a 6-1 win over Frigg. Six thousand spectators at the first major football match of the year. At 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon it looked bad for tonight’s big football match. The rain poured down in torrents but fortunately it stopped almost as quickly as it started and from 6 o’clock the weather was excellent. There was a good influx of people to the grass pitch at Ulllevaal and there were probably around 6,000 spectators in the stands when referee Bech called the captains together for the draw. Partick Thistle is one of Scotland’s best teams, with many good players. It has no real top figures, has among other things, no regular national team players but is an excellently cohesive team.

The Scottish ballhandlers had the game completely in their hands. Their control of the ball was impressive and their overview excellent. The Norwegian players seemed slow and too slow. The Scots won almost every close battle for the ball. For a long time it looked like a game only against a needle, but only after 20 minutes did the first goal come. Centre runner SIMPSON shot and Wendelborg didn’t even take the ball. This goal however gave Frigg momentum which went on the attack and the equaliser came after just a few minutes. Pettersen laid out to Frogn who crossed to STEEN and the latter nodded loosely just inside the post. Frigg now played for a time according to the best Scottish pattern and was heartily applauded. Incidentally, it is partly due to bad luck that the Scots did not score at the very beginning of the match. The inner right was thus once in front of an open goal but nodded in the bar.

After a few minutes, means came to the Scots. The ball went man to man quite easily but it clicked at the last minute, Wendelborg once grabbed the ball from the centre-back’s leg and later he took a very hard field crawler, set in a free-kick. People admired the Scots’ precise passing and purely creative play, perhaps disappointed by their every shot. Frigg had a plan and opened with a nice attack. A shot from Lie streaked over the snake. The good period, however, did not last long and the match gradually faded away. The Scots’ outer right NESS shot no. 2 after 36 minutes. Two minutes later Frigg had the chance to equalise with a penalty kick nut Knut Andersen put the ball over the line. The half ended with Scotland leading 2-1. During the break Charles Hoff gave a successful performance in the pole vault which is discussed in a separate notice.

The second half was considerably fresher and more fun than the first. The match was now more even and Frigg delivered several times a game, which the Scots probably understood to value. However, the Norwegian defence played openly and less well so the result is that four Scottish goals were scored. The excellent centre-runner [SIMPSON] who was constantly lying far forward and guarding chances did a hat-trick by shooting goals after respectively 53, 68 and 70 minutes. The second of theses goals was clearly off-side but was allowed. Wendelborg showed a lack of investment ability. A good goalkeeper had saved two of the shots. After 81 minutes BALLANTYNE shot from inside-left No. 6. Frigg had quite good attacks several of which resulted in corners. Frogn put them in very nicely but nothing was made of them. The centre-runner Steen was not very active due to an injured hand. Petersen did not shoot as boldly as usual and Lie’s good shot was saved. Towards the end of the match the Scots played with their opponents and gave evidence of their excellent ball handling.

On the Scottish team, the left back Rae played excellently. Centre-half, the great Lambie, did a great job and centreforward Simpson was a great goal-getter. The left side in the attack was probably the most dangerous but the outer left once missed badly for an open goal. At Frigg, the goalkeeper was weak and Henry Frogn was far too vulnerable and stayed too far out. The open defence was responsible for several goals. Knut Andersen was excellent as a centre-half while Toger Nordbo, brought home from Paris, apparently lacked training and had to go out in the second half. Frogn was the best outside runner, Pettersen played comprehensively as usual and Kaare Lie excelled. As mentioned, Steen was not in good health. The Scots play Sunday in Halden, Tuesday in Drammen and Thursday in Oslo against Lyn. It’s a team you like to see twice.

HEI NORGE

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