Match Report

Hendon
1
Finchley
5
Date:
Saturday 25 November 1939
Competition:
Hertfordshire & Middlesex Combination
Attendance:
Unknown
Venue:
Golders Green

Match Report

Golders Green turned out in full strength apart from the absence of Barlow, whose place in goal was well taken by Barnes, but Ward was about the only man who showed true form. There was too much disjointed play, so that although Golders Green had more than half the game territorially in the first half, they achieved nothing and were three goals down at the interval. Several injuries developed, and in the second half Finchley were definitely on top, the Green's only reply to the total of five goals being one penalty goal.

Finchley fielded practically their team of the previous week, but A.C. Broadis replaced S.A. Wright at back, and thus played against his old team mates of Golders Green. Blythe, at outside-left, was always worth watching, though J. Sperrin, on the right wing, was the leading scorer. Masters gave a consistently sound display at centre-half, and Young, at right back, was too good for F. Boston and Cochrane.

From the kick-off Finchley pushed through on the left wing and Barnes had to come out to clear a shot from Blythe, but Golders Green replied with an attack which ended with a scramble round theFinchley goal, Wildman punching clear as he fell in a mix-up.

Five minutes from the start Finchley took the lead, Neary netting from a close range after pretty passing between himself and the two inside men.

Bucci reached Wildman following a free kick for a foul by Broadis on Breagan; then Ellison shot wide and Wildman had to save from W. Boston, who came well up the field and drove hard to the centre of the posts. Golders Green kept up the pressure and Wildman nnearly let through a surprise shot from F. Boston.

Wildman was hard-worked before Finchley got going again, and their attack did not last long, though Blythe gave the home defence some trouble.

Golders Green pressed again and Cochrane looked like scoring off one of F. Boston's centres, but was cut off by two defenders. Lovell put in a grand shot to force a corner off a corner, but this was cleared, and Blythe led another Finchley attack.

Finchley's second goal, against the run of play, was due to an error by Ward, who passed back too short to Barnes, allowing Blythe to slip in and take a simple shot. Golders Green had had more than half the play, but were up against a strong defence and fine goalkeeping.

The Green's defence failed badly near half-time and J. Sperrin was given a clear run to goal to net an easy third.

Golders Green had a narrow escape early in the second half when J. Sperrin skimmed the crossbar. Golders Green had breakaways on both wings, but again showed weak finishing, though one corner kick taken by F. Boston gave Finchley an anxious moment.

Finchley forced a couple of corners, both through the work of Blythe and W. Sperrin, but the fourth goal came from J. Sperrin, who finished a solo effort brilliantly. The same player landed the ball on the top of the bar just afterwards.

A fast pace was being maintained, and Golders Green were visibly tiring. Several injuries had been suffered and the team was reshuffled, Graves going to centre-forward, F. Boston dropping to left back and W. Boston moving to left-half, while Owen took the outside-left position. But the changes brought no result. Finchley had the advantage both in speed and power, and more goals were promised for the visitors.

Eventually, however, Golders Green secured their only goal, the result of a foul on Graves. F. Boston took the spot kick and crashed the ball past Wildman to make the score 4-1. Soon afterwards, however, J. Sperrin restored Finchley's lead of four by heading in from a corner kick, and the result was 5-1 when the game ended almost in darkness.

Report by Hendon Times & Guardian, 01/12/1939, p.2

Golders Green

1
W E Barnes
2
Ralph Ward
3
Bill Boston
4
A Lovell
5
Ron Graves
6
George Bucci
7
A J "Billy" Breagan
8
Ted Owen
9
Les "Jock" Ellison
10
A "Mac" Cochrane
11
Fred Boston

Match Events

E H Neary
5''
H S Blythe
30''
J Sperrin
43''
J Sperrin
60''
80''
Fred Boston
J Sperrin
85''

Finchley

1
F Wildman
2
J G Young
3
A C Broadis
4
W J Pearce
5
W A Masters
6
C W Milne
7
J Sperrin
8
J E Hadnutt
9
E H Neary
10
W Sperrin
11
H S Blythe