Golders Green opened their 1944/45 Season with a friendly game v. Tooting & Mitcham [United] at Claremont Road last Saturday, and for the first time since the outbreak of war, succeeded in lowering the colours of the South-Eastern Combination champions.

True, the visitors lacked several familiar stalwarts, but were a workmanlike side and set a hot pace. Golders Green took time to settle down, but in the second half played sparkling football.

The Green's defence was very sound. McCann kept a good goal; Martinson and Bossoms were strong backs, and the half-back line was solid and constructive. Maloney, a local youngster, made a promising debut at left-half and showed ability: when he settles down and gains senior experience he is likely to prove a big asset to the Green. The forwards in the first half were hesitant, albeit without the best of luck, but after the interval they came into their own. Fair proved himself a forceful centre-forward with ability and a devastating shot, while Mitchell was the mainspring of the attack, making opening after opening besides scoring two great goals.

The game opened with fairly even exchanges, Tooting executing some excellent passing movements, and the Green making many dashes down the field. After a quarter of an hour Wingrove gave the visitors the lead with a fine swerving shot which quite deceived McCann. The Green worked hard to get on terms. Two shots hit the cross-bar, more went over the bar or wide, and a number of corners were forced. Then after half an hour, following heavy pressure, the ball came out to Mitchell, who equalised with a fine shot which gave Spiers no chance.

The Green forced a corner almost from the kick-off in the second half, and were soon swarming round the Tooting goal. Within five minutes the home side took the lead with a goal from Worthington. Soon afterwards Spiers saved well a good shot by Fair. Seven minutes later the score was 3-1. Topp retrieved the ball, Stroud shot and Spiers could only parry the ball, which landed almost on the goal line for Goodchild to dash in and shoot home.

Six minutes later the issue was put beyond doubt: following a save from Stroud, the ball went back to Worthington, who passed to Mitchell, who shot home a really fine goal. The scoring was completed in the twenty-fifth minute when the ball came across from the right to Fair, who crashed home an unstoppable shot.

Towards the end, Tooting rallied, and gave the Green's defence a considerable amount of work, but it held firm, and the final whistle went with the score: Golders Green 5, Tooting and Mitcham 1.