Victory still eludes Golders Green Football Club. The match at Claremont Road on Saturday with Southall ended in a draw of two goals all, this being the score for the fourth game in succession. Apart from the win at Worthing on January 19 in the A.F.A. Cup, Golders Green have not won a match since the last Saturday in December, and the season promises to provide a record number of drawn games. So far there have been 11.

Southall have not had a particularly good season in the Athenian League - 19 points from 22 games, but they have managed to take three points from Golders Green, who promise to take a lower place than they have done for several seasons.

Golders Green were without T.E. Edwards, and so the team was the same as in the previous match except that T. Evans supplanted L. Muncer. This strengthened the front line, although Evans puts in a tremendous amount of work for which the results are not commensurate.

Golders Green have given many worse displays than was seen in this match, but it was far from being up to the standard which is expected for a club of their standing. Thee is still lacking that little extra effort in the goalmouth. By clever work the ball will be carried far into the enemy's camp, but instead of a hard shot the forwards will dally with the ball a second too long, and all is lost. This weakness is not confined to one player. Even Drinkwater, who was once noted for smartness in shooting, has often been robbed through his failure to kick the ball while on the run. He certainly showed some improvement in this respect on Saturday, but of the forwards we must give the palm to Breagan, without whose help during the last month Golders Green would have been far worse off.

So far as the defence was concerned, there was nothing outstanding in their work even if there was no pronounced weakness. Southall's second goal, however, might have been saved if there had been a better understanding between backs and goalkeeper. J.W. Richardson unfortunately was injured quite early in the game, and although he was not off the field for more than two or three minutes, his play was adversely affected.

Southall were well served in defence, the kicking of both backs being strong and clean, and E. Chaffney, who took the place of A. Brown, did creditably at centre-half. We preferred Southall's forward line to the home five. They were much speedier, L. Codling, at outside-right, giving Richardson a good deal of trouble, and although Eagles, the centre-forward, could not repeat his performance at Southall a month ago of scoring four goals - in fact he failed to get one - his work was sufficient to cause a feeling of regret that he had ever left the Golders Green club.

During the first half Southall had the benefit of the wind, but the opening play was in favour of Golders Green, who were soon taking a corner kick. Though well placed by Breagan, Fallon failed to convert. Richardson then pulled up Eagles rather smartly as he was getting dangerous, and indeed for some time the strongest point was the defensive work, both sets of backs clearing splendidly.

A little resentment was felt at the way in which Breagan was once stopped, and there were a few other instances later on when there was a lack of discretion, but the fault did not lie entirely with Southall. On the whole, however, it could not be described as other than a game in which a fine sporting spirit was shown.

Twenty-five minutes from the start - immediately following a weak effort by Fallon to convert a centre by Berry - Guess, at inside-left, scored for Southall, and when, a few minutes later, a penalty kick for handling was given against Golders Green, things looked black for the home side. Eagles, however, failed to get another goal, the ball going over the bar. The offence did not appear a serious one, and it was suggested that on this account, and perhaps for old times' sake, Eagles was not anxious to find the net, but we doubt that reasoning. There are more failures with penalty kicks than many imagine.

To make up for this weak shot, Eagles tested Godding severely more than once, but Golders Green had quite a fair share of the play, and well deserved their first goal, which came seven minutes from the interval through Fallon, after Lewis had saved wonderfully well from Breagan. There was real pleasure that Fallon, who has not had all the encouragement that might be given to a new player from a section of the crowd, should open his account in his third match.

Then, until the interval, we saw the best work of the afternoon from Golders Green, but despite much pressure they failed to take the lead. One of Evans's efforts was very commendable.

Golders Green had more of the play than Southall in the second half, but the visitors scored first through Codling, and the match was rapidly drawing to a close before Golders Green equalised for the second time. This goal came from Drinkwater, but credit must be given to Breagan for providing such an excellent opening.

A large number of corner kicks fell to Golders Green in this half, and though, with one or two exceptions, they were well placed, the inside forwards showed weakness in front of goal. In the closing stages there was great pressure upon the Southall goal, Richardson being among the marksmen, but time came with a division of the spoils, and all except strong partisans would admit that that was a fair end to a good game.