Match Report

Hendon
1
Southall
2
Date:
Saturday 29 March 1924
Competition:
Middlesex Senior Cup
Attendance:
3000
Venue:
RAF Uxbridge

Match Report

From the Hendon & Finchley Times, 4 April 1924 (including teams) :

A large number of supporters of Hampstead Town, including several of the fair sex, visited the well-appointed R.A.F. ground at Uxbridge on Saturday fondly hoping that the Town would claim the right of participating in the final of the Middlesex Senior Cup. Alas, their hopes were dashed to the ground, Southall, the holders, winning a well-contested game by two goals to one. By beating Bush Hill Park by 1-0 in the other semi-final at Harrow, Wealdstone have the honour of meeting Southall in the final on Easter Monday at Uxbridge.

The game was marred by a strong wind, calculations of players being upset. Winning the toss, Hampstead played with the wind in the opening half, but they found difficulty in controlling the ball, as did Southall upon change of ends. In the early stages things promised well for Hampstead, as they attacked strongly. Travers Day, from a corner kick, placed the ball in such a good position that Seabrooke almost headed in; and on another occasion Wise, accepting a pass from Day, gave Holding anxiety. From the start, however, it was evident that the Southall defence was on its best behaviour, the backs kicking strongly and Fidler being the pick of an excellent half-back line. The fact that one or other of the backs kept well up the field caused Day to be placed offside on several occasions. For some time McCracken had nothing to do, it being difficult for the Southall forwards to get within shooting range, and when they did the shots were not well-directed. Most danger came from the left wing, where Carter showed a good turn of speed. Hampstead's left wing was also the more prominent, but unfortunately well-intentioned movements went awry, Howell being unable to snap up passes from Wise with his usual facility. Moreover, Southall recognised the danger lying in this direction, Howell being marked as closely as a cat watches a mouse. McCracken seemed to act indiscreetly when he ran out a dozen yards or more to clear. A little later, however, Clarke opened the scoring for Southall with a shot that came at such an angle that McCracken had no chance. On the run of play up to this time Southall did not deserve the lead. Hampstead set to work boldly, and several corners were obtained, but although most of them were well-placed Southall triumphed. Young played with unusual dash for Hampstead, and indeed the whole team seemed to realise that unless they could score with the wind their chances were at zero. But all their energy came to naught, thanks largely to Buttery and Gower, who deserve great credit for the stubborn defence they put up. On one occasion, from a pass by Seabrooke, Howell went spinning towards goal, but Buttery relieved, and Holding did well to save another shot from the smart outside-left. Southall, with one goal in the locker, seemed content to act on the defensive, and, compared with Holding, McCracken had a quiet forty-five minutes.

After the interval Southall soon realised that the wind was not altogether an advantage. The defence, it is true, found work much easier, but the forwards had difficuty in controlling the ball, and goal-kicks were frequent. Hampstead started so well that their supporters were optimistic. The game, however, had not long been resumed when there was a stroke of rank bad luck for Hampstead. A long shot by Clarke, which apparently should have given no trouble, passed through McCracken's hands into the net, to the surprise of everybody. The shot may have been more difficult to stop than some imagined, but even McCracken will confess that a bad mistake was made. It was rather hard lines on Hampstead that they should have suffered so severely in a crucial match.

Even then hope was by no means lost. On the general run of the play Hampstead were quite holding their own. McCracken did not, as was feared, lose confidence in himself, his work for the remainder of the game leaving nothing to be desired. The forwards kept pegging away, and at last their efforts were rewarded, a brilliant centre by Howell, who was not too well treated at times by opponents, giving Young an opportunity, which he readily accepted. of reducing the margin. This success acted as a tonic, and Southall played for safety, the ball being sent out of touch whenever danger threatened. Their tactics in other respects left something to be desired, and although it was not one would call a "dirty" game the referee found it necessary towards the end, after Howell had suffered rather badly, to administer a caution. Some ten minutes before the end Travers Day was also in the wars, and for the rest of the time was quite a passenger.

While the result, two goals to one in favour of Southall, gave a fairly accurate idea of the run of the game, the figures, with a little luck, might have been reversed. It was a good performance on the part of Hampstead to hold their own in the second half against the wind; but they ought to have made the issue safe in the first forty-five minutes.

Harry and Field did well at back, the former in particular, and Wardlaw has seldom been more effective at half-back. There was little to choose between the forwards, Young being perhaps the pick of the five. On the Southall side Alford did not shine as prominently as usual, the left wing men doing the best work. Fidler was the best of the halves, and the backs kicked strongly and made no serious mistakes. Holding had no chance with the goal scored against him.
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From the West Middlesex Gazette, 5 April 1924 (including teams) :

By defeating Hampstead Town by 2-1 in the semi-final of the Middlesex Senior Cup at the R.A.F. Stadium, Uxbridge, Southall qualified to enter the finals of the two senior county cups in the same week, having beaten Barnet in the Charity Cup semi-final on Wednesday. Considering the interesting nature of the match, and the fact that there were no counter attractions in the neighbourhood, the gate was not so large as anticipated, the crowd barely numbering 3,000.

While the high wind that blew the length of the field prevented a really high level of football being maintained, there were many periods of bright and interesting play, particularly in the first half. After the interval the play deteriorated and it was only in the last quarter of an hour that it was enlivened by a strong recovery from Hampstead Town, who fought unsuccessfully against the sound Southall defence to force a draw.

Though facing the wind in the first half, Southall had the better of the play and were the more dangerous in attack. Hampstead Town opened in promising style and quite early in the game Holding was called upon to save a good header from Young, following a corner, while Seabrooke headed over the bar from a centre by Travers Day. But later the Hampstead forwards were not so convincing and the prompt tackling and clearing of the Southall halves and backs, who played right on top of the opposing forwards, allowed them few chances. Southall, having got over the initial settling down period, were smarter on the ball and their forward play was more cohesive and effective. Both Carter and Ramsay got over accurate centres, and Alford and Clarke were prominent. Clarke had a fast shot diverted for a corner, and Alford caused excitement by a fine run. The play was being very keenly contested, but the wind made accurate kicking and passing very difficult. The attack veered from end to end, with Southall playing the better together and finishing up their movements much more strongly. McCracken came out and cleared smartly as Alford dashed between the backs to take up a pass by Clarke. At the other end Holding saved a difficult long shot from Little. After seventeen minutes' play Southall scored through Clarke, who, sent forward by a pass from Alford, beat McCracken with a fast cross shot. Hampstead replied with a vigorous attack and forced a corner from which Holding was obliged to concede another corner in turning the ball over the bar from an accurate flag kick. Holding also smartly cleared a dangerous centre from Wise. Then Southall again took up the running and the Hampstead goal had an extremely narrow escape when Clarke, after neatly tricking both backs, had only the goalkeeper to beat at close range. He drove the ball hard for the far corner, but the wind caught the ball and it swerved out just clear of the post. The play was frequently stopped for offside. Hampstead Town made determined efforts in the last minutes of the first half, and Holding saved good shots from Howell and Wardlaw. Half-time : Southall, 1 ; Hampstead Town, 0.

Hampstead Town continued their efforts to equalise on resuming, but Southall quickly took up the offensive and Alford, securing the ball from a goal kick by Holding, made a brilliant run, beating the backs, but McCracken promptly ran out and cleared. Southall kept up the attack and thirteen minutes after the interval Clarke put them further ahead with a fast ground shot, the ball spinning out of McCracken's hands after he had appeared to have gathered it safely. The defences on both sides prevailed and the goalkeepers were very rarely troubled, though McCracken brought off one fine save when he punched out a splendid high cross shot from Carter. Hampstead Town began to show up more prominently, their strong recovery was the feature of the closing play. Seventeen minutes from the end Young scored from a centre by Howell, and from then on Hampstead Town made determined efforts to get on terms, and Southall had to fight hard to maintain their lead. Result : Southall, 2 ; Hampstead Town, 1.

Hampstead Town

1
E T McCracken
2
W T Field
3
W G Harry
4
Bill Little
5
Lewis Smith
6
Bob Wardlaw
7
Travers Day
8
Freddy Young
9
Kenneth Seabrooke
10
Cecil Wise
11
George Howell

Match Events

D Clarke
17''
D Clarke
62''
73''
Freddy Young

Southall

1
T Holding
2
E Buttery
3
H Gower
4
A Vance
5
E Fidler
6
T Strevans
7
C B Ramsey
8
F Ryding
9
B Alford
10
D Clarke
11
M Carter