28th January 1969 Town 0 Stoke 1 FA Cup Fourth Round Replay
A crowd of 24,891 squeezed into the Shay, most hoping Town could pull off a shock as they had done against the same opposition in 1953. But this time class told. Although Town exerted pressure early on, Banks' handling was impeccable, and Town had a mountain to climb once Harry Burrows had fired a 28th minute free-kick through the defensive wall. Three minutes after half-time Republic of Ireland international Terry Conroy shrugged off the challenge from John Pickering before firing into the roof of the net, then wrapped the game up with his second eight minutes from time.
Team: Smith, Burgin, Meagan, Pickering, Nicholl, Wallace, Flower, Massie, Lawther, Shawcross, McCarthy
Johnny Meynell
2nd February 1933 Town 3 Chester 2 FA Cup 4th Round Replay
The Fourth Round draw didn't do Town any favours, away again to a club from the same division, league leaders Chester.
In the first match the priority was defensive solidarity and, except for when Ted Craig had to clear his lines with an overhead kick with Watty Shirlaw beaten, the plan worked a treat as Town kept a clean sheet and forced a replay.
Five days later, the teams lined up again on a Thursday afternoon. Bob Suter junior replaced the flu-struck Shirlaw in goal and Bill Chambers' early injury meant him having to go to the wing to swap places with Charlie Davies.
Maurice Wellock's shot put Town in front on the half-hour after it hit the bar then the goalkeeper before crossing the line. Chambers had a shot cleared off the line before Town looked to be on their way when Wellock scored again with a header before half-time.
Twenty minutes from time, however, the scores were level. Chester looked to be going in front when the ball was fisted over the bar, not by Suter, but by Town defender Hughie Flack. It was a certain penalty but the referee didn't see the incident. Instead of being behind and possibly a man down, Town survived the scare and took the game into extra -time during which the injured Chambers put Davies through to score the winner.
Philip Ashworth for Shaymendownsouth issue 65
3rd February 1974 Town 3 Walsall 1
Shay striker Terry Shanahan hit goals either side of half-time to give Town two points and their first win in four League outings.
The Shaymen were always comfortable and held a two goal lead at the interval. Former Huddersfield Town wingman Alan Jones gave Town the lead and then Shanahan made it two with his sixth League goal of the season.
The Black Country side put themselves back in the hunt in the second half with a goal from Coventry City product Brian Taylor, but Shanahan made sure it was a happy day for The Shaymen.
Both sides had been battling hard to make their season that little brighter. Both lay in mid-table, but struggled to put together any kind of cohesive run of success in the League. Town went into the game 14th in the Division Three table and lifted themselves two places with the result. But it was seven games before they recorded their next League win and it took a storming late run to lift them to ninth in the table at the season's end.
Team: Smith, Burgin, Quinn, Pugh, Pickering, Rhodes, Jones, Shanahan, Kemp, Gwyther, Ford
Peter Barrow
Also this week:
28th January 1967 A crowd of 15,591 watch Town hold Bristol City to a 1-1 draw at the Shay in the FA Cup 3rd Round
29th January 1977 The Shaymen had recorded just one win in their previous seven games, and put all 21 players up for sale to curb the wage bill, but travelled to Brentford with confidence for the London side had a worse record and indeed were deeper in the re-election problem. Represented by Gennoe, Trainer, Loska, Flavell, Dunleavy, Phelan, Hoy, Carroll, Bullock, Lawson and Johnston, it looked for a while that Town would at least share the points thanks to a 20-yard goal by Bobby Hoy but the home side clinched a 2-1 victory through goals by Sweetzer and French, and by so doing left the Shaymen firmly entrenched in the Fourth Division's basement.
30th January 1971 Gordon Lee's Port Vale came up from Division 4 last season. On the treacherous muddy ground they look an accomplished side, but it's Town who have all the answers. They frustrate the home crowd by defending in numbers, then silence them when Andy Burgin's angled 25-yarder flies in for a 1-0 win.
30th January 1993 On this display Town are headed in only one direction - downwards. Scunthorpe canter to a 4-1 victory and there's a goal for former Town player Dean Martin. Out of frustration Billy Barr stamps on Tony Daws and is sent-off. Jamie Paterson's consolation comes when he charges Mark Samways' kick out.
31st January 1953 Having already defeated First Division opposition in Cardiff City at the Shay in the previous round, the Fourth Round of the FA Cup again gave Town home advantage and again brought Division One opposition, this time in the shape of Stoke City. Jackie Moss took over from Roy Lorenson in the halfback line while Des Frost replaced Alan Hampson and a record crowd of 35,621 turned out to watch the confident Shaymen pull off yet another giant killing act when a goal from Derek Priestley proved enough to ensure participation in the competition's Fifth Round for only the second time in the club's history.
31st January 1959 Town travelled to Wiltshire for their first ever visit for a League match to the County Ground of Swindon Town. The Wiltshire air suited the Shaymen who were two up within 10 minutes with leading scorer Conway Smith netting his 14th goal of the season and Alan Blackburn scoring his 5th, both goals being opportunist efforts. Swindon went out on an all out attack but Town held out to earn a deserved victory with keeper Arthur Johnson making some fine saves behind a solid defence. This win before 9,568 spectators left Town in a comfortable mid-table position with their second successive away victory.
31st January 1967 Fourth Division Town were enjoying a good run of results in the league and a week earlier had held powerful Second Division outfit Bristol City to a draw in the FA Cup 3rd Round at the Shay. Though the replay brought a 4-1 defeat the Shaymen won many new fans with a fine display in front of a 23,188 crowd - they were represented in both games by: White, Russell, Bodell, Smith, Holt, Lee, Taylor, Hutchinson, Parks, Atkins and McCarthy
31st January 1970 The Shaymen obtained an excellent share of the points as a result of a 1-1 draw at Bury. Town's defence gave the free-scoring Gigg Lane side few opportunities and, though the home side scored first, the Shaymen were much the better side. Dave Verity levelled the scores and, in the final minute, a well-deserved victory was almost gained when Ian Lawther's header hit the upright.
31st January 1986 Paul Sanderson has asked to go on the transfer list, but plays his part in Town's rescue after they go two goals down on the hour at home to Colchester United. Sanderson hammers home a 25-yard drive to halve the deficit. Billy Kellock equalises when Gary Nicholson's volley comes back off the post. Norwich City take a look at David Longhurst.
1st February 1975 Town turn out for this home match against Gillingham in new track-suit tops provided by the Supporters Club. The Shaymen, weakened by the absence of Dave Gwyther and Steve Downes, fall behind to an early first half goal from Damien Richardson, who prods the ball home as four players are on the floor. Though struggling throughout, the Shaymen fully deserve their equaliser, courtesy of Ray McHale's rocket shot from 18 yards with only 30 seconds remaining, which stretches their unbeaten home run to eleven games.
1st February 2003Town narrowly defeat Grays Athletic in an FA Trophy tie at the Shay. Brian Quailey, Phil Clarkson and a Craig Midgley penalty give the Shaymen the edge in a five-goal thriller in front of a crowd of 1,653
2nd February 1976 Following a home defeat by Shrewsbury on 24 January, manager Johnny Quinn fielded ten of that side in a reserve fixture at Doncaster, a game that was lost 1-2. Present that night was Alan Ball, and it was here that he was approached with a view to making a return to the Shay as manager. Quinn was shocked to read about this in a Sunday newspaper, and the story was backed up by the Halifax Evening Courier the following day. That evening, 2 February, the board sacked him. Quinn, who had no contract, felt he had been stabbed in the back, and the manner of his dismissal provoked outrage from the fans. Chairman Percy Albon defended the board's decision: "We were losing spectators, and the position was becoming critical."
2nd February 1957 The Shaymen, then in the Third Division North, travelled to Crewe with great confidence in the knowledge that the hosts had lost their ten previous home games. The confidence proved well-founded as Town dominated the game throughout with Andy McCall in outstanding form. Conway Smith gave the Shaymen an early lead and, though Crewe drew level before the break, they were given little opportunity of holding on to a share of the points as Town took a complete command of the second half and proved their all-round superiority with two further goals from Harry Darbyshire.
2nd February 1970 The Stockport pitch is waterlogged and the ref only gives the nod 35 minutes before kick-off. Ex-Shayman Hugh Ryden has one of two County efforts that hit the post. Dave Verity's match-winning second goal in two games is a header off ex-international Roy Vernon's pass. Near the end Phil McCarthy misses an open goal.
2nd February 1994 Brian Kettle's Southport side move into second place following this 2-2 draw at the Shay, but he's fuming that his side didn't win the game. Trailing to Colin Lambert's early strike, Quinlan pulls Southport level, then in injury-time he sweeps them in front. As the home fans head for the exits, Billy Barr equalises with 93 minutes on the clock.
2nd February 1924 Town hold Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at Maine Road in the FA Cup 2nd Round. Jimmy Moore and Ellis Hall were Town's goalscorers.
3rd February 1987 After the Shaymen come from behind to record a 3-2 victory at high-flying Southend, manager Billy Ayre finally admits, "Yes, we can go up". Goalless at half-time, the game explodes after the break. Martin Ling and Mick Galloway ensure the sides share the two opening goals, then sub Paul Fleming provides the cross which Westley turns into his own net to edge Town in front. Ling equalises for the hosts just after the hour-mark, but Fleming is brought down for Phil Brown's winning penalty.
3rd February 1951 Des Frost scores all four goals as Town beat Lincoln City 4-1 at the Shay
29th January 1912 William Allsop was born
29th January 1938 Norman Bodell was born
3rd February 1969 Wayne Jacobs was born
