Having fallen from grace by losing at home to Bromley in the Athenian League, Hampstead Town were particularly anxious to do well in the return match last Saturday at Bromley, and in the hope of effecting the desired improvement three changes were made in the team. Elderton, Reinke and Bucci were dropped, although the two last-named made the journey. Bromley also made one or two alterations[, and the teams will be found following this report.]

Hampstead avenged their previous defeat, the result being 3-1 in their favour, and it may be said at once that the necomers had no small share in the victory. The forward work at times was brilliant, surprisingly so having regard to the fact that there were two strangers in the forward line and that Ashby was in an unaccustomed position, while Fuller made an excellent substitute for Wardlaw at left-half. He fed the forwards judiciously, and there was an air of liveliness about the whole side which we are not accustomed to see at an end-of-a-season match. The play of Hampstead was far and away better than was seen in the home match with Bromley, while the Kentish players did not come up to expectations. It was a bold stroke on the part of those responsible for the selection of Hampstead's team to drop their chief goal-scorer, but Reinke will probably be the first to admit that on one or two occasions lately he had failed to do himself justice. Throughout the season there has been a weakness at outside-left, and of the players tried in that position Lloyd, on Saturday's form, is easily the best. While Ashby was not anxious to play in the centre, he did all that was asked of him without murmuring, and as he scored two goals he may not be disinclined to play there again. Cousins had a good partner in Cobb, introduced, we understand, by Pease who has taken on the role of captain in the absence of Wardlaw, and this was another change which made for success. All the forwards did their share of work. There have been times when Wise has been sadly overworked, but althhough he always enjoys his football, he seemed particularly pleased at the way things went on Saturday.

The Bromley side had a very bad time in the first half, during which Hampstead scored all their goals, and from remarks by some of the "critics" in the stand it would appear that they wold have been better pleased if some of the promising reserves that Bromley have at their command had been playing. Barracking, however, is heard on most grounds at times.

At the outset it did not seem at all on the cards that Bromley would go under. They started well by winning the toss, and proceeded without delay to force the game, the Hampstead goal having one or two narrow escapes from well-placed corners. The manner in which Goodwin defended his goal, however, gave confidence to his side, and when the visitors began to settle the Bromley backs found them so harassing that they adopted the habit of passing the ball back to Osborne in goal. From good work on the right wing Wise shot wide, but at the end of a quarter-of-an-hour Hampstead opened the scoring through Ashby, who snapped up a centre from Lloyd, at outside-left. This early success had a marked effect upon the Hampstead team, who continued to do a great deal of pressing. From Thomas, at outside-right, Goodwin made a remarkable save, but his task was nothing like so hard as that of the Bromley goalkeeper, who found shots sent in from all directions. Ashby again found the net, but a big factor in this success was Wise, who, working his way into a good position, gave the centre his opportunity. The ball had scarcely been restarted before Wise was again on the target, his shot being deftly dealt with by Osborne at the cost of a corner. Lloyd, a few minutes later, signalled his first appearance in the side by scoring Hampstead's third goal from Cousins' centre.

At this juncture there were visions of a huge score being piled up against Bromley, but things did not pan out just in the manner desired by a few of Hampstead's exuberant supporters. Fuller, the new half-back, made a grand save on the goal-line when Bromley seemed certain of success, while Morris, the home side's crack shot, utterly failed when the game seemed at his mercy. Others were equally at fault. Towards the end of the first half there was a hail storm which made things both uncomfortable and difficult for the players, some of them finding it impossible to keep their feet. Just on half-time there was another grand movement by the whole of the Hampstead forwards, Ashby just failing to complete the work by heading a few inches wide of the post.

In the second half Bromley had quite as much of the game as Hampstead, but their shooting was wretchedly poor, and it was not until near the end that they scored, Hill, their sprinter, getting possession in mid-field and making a dash for goal. After this Thorlby made a remarkably good save in the goalmouth, and at the other end Cobb found the net for Hampstead, only to be given offside, a decision which did not meet with general approval. There were many exciting incidents in this half and while one could not call the play rough, both Clarke and Warren were off the field for short periods due to injuries. At times Bromley exercised a great deal of pressure, and there was an occasion when it appeared that the ball had glanced off the post into the net, but the referee, who was well positioned, refused the claim for a goal. Both sides missed many scoring chances.