Hampstead lost their first Athenian League match of the season, on Saturday, to Barking Town by three goals to two after a strenuous tussle on the ground of the Essex club. Taken by surprise in the early stages, Hampstead were two goals down within a few minutes of the opening. Then they made a splendid second half recovery and drew level, but were unable to hold their advantage.

Neither side made any change from the teams selected in advance for this match. Barking were served by eight of last season's players, but Hampstead fielded five newcomers to the first team. Spectators were slow in mustering, but by the time the game got going the ground filled up.

Hampstead started their season by winning the toss and in the first minute Cornell had to run out to clear. Breagan dribbled through neatly on the right, but his well-placed centre fell on Rainbow's head and play was transferred to the other end. Then came disaster for Hampstead before the game was five minutes old. A snap pass from the left wing was seized on by Carter, who scored with a high shot in the corner of the net.

Hampstead looked like equalising when play recommenced, but Hunt went full length to save a grounder from Evans. Within three minutes the home side were two up, Clay breaking through a defence which offered only feeble resistance and scoring an easy goal. A free kick was given against Hampstead for hands just outside the penalty area, but the shot was placed well over the crossbar. Butland did some excellent work for Hampstead, his positioning being especially good. Taking up a pass from Butler, he rammed in a high shot which Hunt did well to get away. Evans also narrowly missed with a stinging shot.

Evans then reproduced his best style by tricking four defenders and curving in a shot which brought Hunt to the ground. Rowe then ran up and poked the ball into the net, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside. This was a great disappointment for Hampstead and an undeserved fate for one of the finest movements of the day. Hampstead came right into the picture at this stage. A nice move initiated by Breagan ended in Evans potting at a barrage of defenders crowding the goalmouth. Butland also had a go, but could only force a corner, which Hunt saved. For these two raids Hampstead fully deserved to be on terms. Breagan should have done better when confronted with an open goal, but he failed to give himself time and shot weakly outside. A moment later, however, he gave Hunt a handful to hold, and Cornell had a similar experience at the other end. Evans presented Breagan with an excellent opportunity, but the latter, after taking the ball up the field, centred with too much force and the pass was wasted.

Stride, one of the most dangerous forwards on the field, forced a corner, but Richardson cleared for Butler to race to the home goal where he finished weakly. A moment afterwards he put across a beauty which rolled along the bar before Hunt pushed it away. From a corner Butland, the most persistent player in the visiting attack, sky-rocketed the ball out of play. Cornell saved a difficult shot from the inside-right, and Evans backheaded a pass from Butler, but Hunt was again waiting. Clay was going through well when Bucci brushed him aside and allowed Cornell to run out and save the situation. A fine shot from Toleman was pushed over by Cornell for a corner. At half-time Barking still held their two goals lead.

Barking were the first to attack in the second half, but the advantage was short lived, Tibbett sending Butland away to have a pot. Unfortunately he was charged just as he was taking his shot and the ball went over. Barking were awarded a corner after Cornell had saved a long-range grounder from Stannard, and then Hampstead obtained a hard-earned goal five minutes from the resumption. Evans took up a long pass and wriggled through the opposition right to the Barking goal. As he could not get round he touched the ball to Butland, who had no difficulty in tapping it into the net. It looked as if the equaliser might come in the next minute, but Butland's shot, this time, went a long way astray. A fine centre by Stride would have been sufficient to put Barking further ahead had it not been too hard for anyone to intercept. Dean stopped a certain goal by falling on Shellitoe as he was going through the last line of defence.

Both visiting backs were now kicking better than in the first half and several menacing thrusts by the Barking forwards were broken up.

Fifteen minutes from the interval Hampstead came to terms with their opponents. Butler slung across a high shot which Hunt punched away, but Breagan, running up, caught the rebound and made no mistake with a first-timer along the grass.

This put an entirely different complexion on the game and both sides were now battling for victory. Cornell reached out to punch away a corner kick by Stride and Richardson knocked Clay away just as he was going to shoot. A moment later, however, and half-way through the second period, Barking went ahead again, this time through Clements, who headed in from a corner, the ball going just out of Cornell's reach.

A miskick by Dean let in Clements and he gave Carter a good opening, but the ball was headed wide. Then Richardson stopped the ball on the line when another goal seemed certain. Clay also missed a "sitter," and Shellitoe gave Cornell one which he could not hold but had to push away for a corner. Hampstead obtained a corner, and from the clearance Stride got the ball, but after racing through on his own he shot outside the post. Hunt held a hot one from Butler and Evans had hard luck with two headers. In the last five minutes Stride raced along the line and centred finely, but although two inside players met the ball with their heads they could not steer it into the net. Almost on the stroke of time the ball was lost on a railway line adjoining the ground and a new one had to be brought into use. Hampstead's last effort was an attempt by Evans to force his way through, but he was hustled off the ball when squaring up for his shot.