Match Report

Tooting & Mitcham United
7
Hendon
2
Date:
Saturday 30 August 1941
Competition:
Friendly
Attendance:
Unknown
Venue:
Tooting & Mitcham United

Match Report

Golders Green fielded a team at Tooting (where they lost by 7-2) which looked excellent on paper, even though the backs were an unknown quantity. In actual fact, these backs did quite well up to a point, and it was the attack which showed the signs of weakness which has been the Green's bugbear for some time - apparent fear of trying a shot in front of goal.

Both sides started shakily, but the Green were the first to settle down, and soon asserted themselves. They went ahead when, during an attack, the referee blew his whistle, and to everyone's surprise, placed the ball on the penalty spot. Lovell took the kick, and shot so weakly that the goalkeeper misjudged the ball; in falling he merely pushed it back to Lovell, who could not help scoring.

Within a few minutes the Green were two up, Cochrane getting the second point. But from here the visitors completely faded away, and, scoring thrre times in fairly quick succession, Tooting came off the field leading 3-2.

In the second half the home team had quite settled down and played excellent football, scoring four times without reply. This did not mean that the Green were overplayed, they had their chances, but the forwards would not shoot; gradually the "fiddling" complex reached the defence, and the backs began to dribble instaed of clearing.

Ellison is certainly better in the half-back line than at centre-forward. Lovell seemed to want to cover Munday - with the result that Stroud was completely starved.

Half an hour from the end the Green tried some positional changes. First Breagan and Ellison interchanged, as did Cochrane and Busby. Then Lovell went centre-forward, but in spite of everything the home defence was not pierced.

Report by Hampstead and St John's Wood News and Golders Green Gazette, 04/09/1941, p.2

Golders Green

1
A E Hart
2
Bill Fisher
3
Tony Munday
4
A Lovell
5
Jack Weeks
6
H Kay
7
Roy Stroud
8
A J "Billy" Breagan
9
Les "Jock" Ellison
10
G Busby
11
A "Mac" Cochrane

Match Events

15''
A Lovell
24''
A "Mac" Cochrane

Tooting & Mitcham United

1
Hawkins
2
Martin
3
Clark
4
Parker
5
Price
6
Cumberledge
7
Hellard
8
Thomson
9
Parker
10
Beasley
11
Wood