Portsmouth F.C. v. Royal Marines
Portsmouth F.C. v. Royal Marines is a football result published in The Evening News (Portsmouth) on 31 december 1885.
Arthur Conan Doyle's team (Portsmouth Football Club) won 10-0 vs Royal Marine Light Infantry.
Arthur Conan Doyle played under the pseudonym "A. C. Smith".
Article
PORTSMOUTH F.C. v. ROYAL MARINES. — The borough club yesterday met on the Forton ground the Association team recently formed in connection with the Royal Marine Light Infantry, and defeated them by ten goals to love, thus scoring in the four matches played by Portsmouth since Saturday morning no less than 21 goals to four recorded against them. The Marines won the toss, and, the visitors having kicked off, C. Huddy, by a fine dribble and a pretty shot, registered the first goal for them. Others followed rapidly, T. Huddy splendidly beading the leather through the posts twice from corner kicks, and Edmonds smartly breasting through another ball that alighted close to one of the posts. Each of this trio contributed three goals, and Nicholson, who made some capital passes from the left wing, also added to the score. These four, of whom C. Huddy displayed brilliant form were well supported in their forward play by J. McDonald, while amongst at the half-backs W. O. Adames (captain) and J. Poole were equal to all their opportunities, and the full backs, particularly A. C. Smith, did what work devolved upon then so satisfactorily that the office of the Portsmouth goal keeper (C. Wiliams) was quite a sinecure, the ball only going near him once, when he easily relieved his side by a running kick. A feature of the game was the faultless corner kicking of J. Poole, who put the leather each time in front of the posts, and thus assisted in the obtaining of five goals. Corporal McLaren, the captain of the Marines' eleven, worked hard for his side, and Irvine (in goal) was fortunate enough to save several good shots. It should be added that two other points kicked by Portsmouth were disallowed by the umpire, and that though the game was rather one-sided, the Marines, with practice and more combined play, have the making in them of a highly creditable team.
