Golders Green's encounter at Hitchin in the Herts and Middlesex Combination was not a match; it was a debacle. Hitchin had only to wade in and score - a job at which they were quite competent - but the result should have been about 8-2 in Hitchin's favour, instead of 14-2. If Barlow had been there, half the shots would never have gone home. Nor would the home attack have enjoyed such a riot if Lovell had been fit and F. Boston had been available.

Halliwell, a newcomer, was a disappointment in goal, and Robson was not strong enough as a deputy for Boston, who was absent with a chill. Lovell, lame throughout the game, had sportingly volunteered to play in spite of his knee injury, which placed a severe handicap upon him. Bustard was not the centre-forward for whom the Green are still looking; Hill was out of position, and Cochrane was overshadowed by the big Hitchin halves, who also clipped Breagan's wings. This leaves but Ward, Bucci, Graves and W. Boston. Ward put in some good work which suffered by the general lack of cohesion; and Bucci worked with a coolness which should have been an example to some of his colleagues. Graves was not too good, and Boston had too much to do in covering up Lovell's handicap and Robson's weakness.

Of the Hitchin team, it need only be said they were experts in every department, with the speedy and powerful shooting Hoar outstanding on the left wing.

Hitchin started a good swinging game, and Hoar showed his power at once, but Halliwell stopped his first shot, and from the clearance Bucci pushed the ball out to Breagan, who got in a good centre, but Bustard was put off as he shot.

Five minutes from the start A. Ward found himself in possession unmarked and scored with an oblique shot into the side of the net to open Hitchin's account. Three minutes later C. Brown scored with a simple shot through, which should not have given the goalkeeper much trouble.

Bustard lost a chance at the other end and then Bacci shot wide, but Bustard soon made amends, breaking clean away while Hitchin were calling for offside and he beat Jones easily to make the score 2-1.

Breagan nearly brought a second with a sudden breakaway, but Adams intercepted the shot, and though Bustard intercepted the ball from the clearance he only force a corner.

Golders Green had a lucky let-out when, with the goalkeeper out of the posts, two Hitchin forwards missed, and immediately afterwards Halliwell brought off a grand save from the centre-forward.

Hitchin's third was a beautiful shot by A. Ward, who nipped in while the Green's defence stood still. Almost from the kick-off Hoar added the fourth with a well-judged drop-shot.

Golders Green had been playing a good game, but the defence were now faulting and brilliant forwards were quick to profit from every weakness.

A. Ward made Hitchin's fifth. He sent in a fine ong shot which Halliwell fumbled, and Brown, following up, tapped the ball in.

Boston was injured and had to leave the field just before half-time, which arrived with the score 5-1 for Hitchin.

Boston was still absent after the interval and Bucci move to left-back. Hitchin went further aheda right from the kick-off, Bland heading in a centre from the left. Hitchin helped themselves to four corners, and then Boston returned to strengthen the defence, but though the Green did a spell of attacking, there was too much waste of time after good approach work.

Hitchin opened out again and Halliwell stopped a hot shot from C. Brown, but eventually Hoar broke away on his own and turned in a lovely shot on the run to make the score 7-1. The eighth came when Boston turned a shot from Hoar into his own goal.

It was only a question of how many Hitchin would score. C. Brown netted the ninth, Chamberlain crashed a penalty kick past Halliwell, and Hoar raced Graves to the goal to score the eleventh. Then Clarke converted a centre from A. Ward, follwoning which Hoar walked the ball in while Golders Green hoped the whistle would go for offside.

There was still life in the Green, and after Cochrane had landed the ball on top of the crossbar, Boston came up for a shot and gave the Green their second goal, but just before time C.Brown netted again to make the Hitchin total 14.

[N.B. Other than the first two, for which times are given in the report, goal times are not accurate, but they do reflect the order of scoring and the half in which they were scored.]