In the following year, the Royal Engineers were eliminated from the FA Cup in the third round following a 1–0 defeat by Oxford University, but in 1874 they easily reached the final, with victories in the early rounds of 5–0 and 7–0 over Brondesbury and Maidenhead respectively. In the final, played at Kennington Oval on 14 March 1874, the Engineers faced Oxford University. The university won the match 2–0 with early goals from Charles Mackarness and Frederick Patton. For the first goal, Merriman was unsighted when the ball was put past him from a melee after a corner. A match report by the Royal Engineers' secretary commented: "it was rather disgusting losing a goal like this for anyone almost could have stopped, but naturally enough each thought it safer to leave it to the goal-keeper who could use his hands to it; unfortunately, however, owing to the crowd he did not see it and thus the ball went quietly through the posts". For the second goal, the Royal Engineers' secretary reported that "Ottaway and Maddison failed to elude the Sappers' goal keeper who this time determined to die hard; his efforts were to no purpose for Patton coming to the rescue, shot the ball through the posts".