Match Report

Barnet
4
Hendon
3
Date:
Saturday 06 April 1940
Competition:
Hertfordshire & Middlesex Combination
Attendance:
Unknown
Venue:
Barnet

Match Report

Golders Green made a bad start and were soon three goals down, but they recovered remarkably well and looked like sharing points in the Herts and Middlesex Combination until Hart was beaten by a shot in the last minute.

A new left-back, Lynch, was included in the Golders Green team and there were changes in the Barnet side, Chapman coming in at centre-half and Fairclough returning at inside-right after a long illness.

From the kick-off Bucci pushed Golders Green into attack and Stroud tried hard to penetrate, but failed after a good effort. Holben was called upon after good work between Cochrane and Coleman, but play swung to the other end, where Lovell blocked a shot from the centre. Subsequent Barnet attacks were helped by Boston wandering too freely; the left wing was not being marked, and from one of his centres Weightman pushed the ball into the net, but he was offside.

Golders Green came on again and there were nice tries by Tomlinson and Cochrane, the latter well deserving a goal.

Hawkins started the movement that gave Barnet the lead. He passed the ball through to Weightman, who beat the defence and finished well. Three minutes later Aylott added the second, and immediately Stevens netted the third off Fairclough.

Golders Green defence had failed badly and Barnet looked like having an easy day, but within one minute Cochrane reduced the lead, converting a pass from Tomlinson, and less than two minutes later Stroud netted off a long pass from Coleman, scoring his first goal for the Green and making the score 3-2. Stroud was doing good work - the best he has done for the club.

Cochrane nearly equalised and Fontana also went near with a header after Stroud's approach work. A fast pace was maintained up to the interval, which arrived with Barnet still leading 3-2. Hart had brought off some splendid saves.

Golders Green forced two corners on the restart and Holben was several times in action. He held a dangerous shot high up from Fontana, but was eventually beaten by Cochrane, who profited by a half-back fault and went through on his own.

Just afterwards Tomlinson broke away and looked a certain scorer, but his shot went a foot wide. Then Tomlinson nearly converted a centre from Coleman, but Holben saved at the expense of a corner.

Barnet made several positional changes, including the movement of Richardson to centre-half, and the result was an improvement, but in attack they relied too much on one wing and Fox got few good passes. There were long spells of pressure on the Golders Green goal, but the visitors made some dangerous breakaways and the result of the match was in doubt until the final minute, when Gerrans took the ball through and passed to Fox, who let fly with good judgment. Hart touched the ball, but could not hold it, and it rolled over the line between his legs to give Barnet the victory.

Report by Hendon Times & Guardian, 12/04/1940, p.2

Golders Green

1
A E Hart
2
Bill Boston
3
Pat Lynch
4
A J "Billy" Breagan
5
A Lovell
6
George Bucci
7
Roy Stroud
8
Les Fontana
9
Harry Tomlinson
10
A "Mac" Cochrane
11
George Coleman

Match Events

W Weightman
20''
? Aylott
23''
? Stevens
24''
26''
A "Mac" Cochrane
28''
Roy Stroud
55''
A "Mac" Cochrane
A Fox
90''

Barnet

1
G Holben
2
J Duncan
3
E Hawkins
4
J Gerrans
5
? Chapman
6
J Richardson
7
? Stevens
8
? Fairclough
9
W Weightman
10
? Aylott
11
A Fox