St. Albans City 2 Wood Green Town 0
Saturday 8th November 1941
By their win over Wood Green Town at Clarence Park , on Saturday, the Citizens regained the third position on the Herts and Middlesex League table. Although conditions were ideal for football at its best, the game as a spectacle was disappointing and the Citizens' display against mediocre opposition not at all convincing.
Some brilliant goalkeeping by G. Hart. the Wood Green custodian, who saved a number of hot shots, chiefly from long range, in spectacular fashion, no doubt served to keep the score down; yet it must be said that the changes made in the St. Albans side, consequent upon the departure of R. Burke for the Royal Air Force and the inability of W. Saunders to play owing to injury, completely upset the teamwork, which has been the most potent factor in the success which the club has recently enjoyed.
COOK'S TWO GOALS.
There were few constructive movements on the part of the half-backs and the forwards, although showing much clever footwork, were exceedingly individualistic in their onslaughts, while there was a lack of understanding in defence, of which Wood Green, because of poor marksmanship, failed to take advantage. The experiment of moving E. Cook from right-back to centre-forward met with a measure of success early in the game, for it was in that period he obtained his side's two goals, but subsequently he was not often in the picture.
St. Albans secured the lead after seven minutes' play. COOK fastened on to a through pass from Earle and went on to neatly place a ground shot well out of the reach of Hurt. The second goal came five minutes later when Franklin sent a slanting pass through the middle. Cuthbert miskicked when attempting to clear and COOK, following up, beat Hart, who hesitated as he ran out, with an unstoppable drive.
But that was the only mistake Hart made. Before the interval he effected excellent saves from Richardson, Earle and Cook, while St. Albans' goal had one fortunate escape. From a centre by Bewley, Saunders, the Wood Green right-winger, had only to touch the ball to score, but got his toe under it and lifted the ball over the crossbar.
WELLS TO THE RESCUE.
With the slope in the second half, St. Albans had most of the play, but their forwards never developed sufficient cohesion to manoeuvre into favourable positions at close range and most of their shooting was done from a distance. Some of it was powerful and well directed, but never possessing a sufficient element of surprise to nonplus the ever-alert Hart, who combined a fine sense of judgment with an almost acrobatic agility. Cook was unfortunate not to complete his "hat-trick" with a header which hit the poet, while Earle and Allen had hot shots smartly gathered beneath the crossbar.
There were times when Wood Green displayed the better combination, in which Phillips and Ford were conspicuous, but their marksmanship rarely reached a high standard, although Wells averted a certain score when he dived across the goal to head out a smashing drive by Ford, and Bewley went very close with a rising shot which baffled Powell, but skimmed the top of the crossbar.
St. Albans City:H. F. Powell; T. Short, L. Goldsack; L. Hall, R. Wells, S. Kirkham; W. Allen, S. Earle, E. Cook, J. Richardson, R. Franklin.
Wood Green Town:G. Hart; E. Dawes, L. Farrer; E. Phillips, J. Cuthbert, J. Stacey; V. Saunders. J. Gregory. H. Williams, R. Ford, J. Bewley.
Referee:S. E. Drake (Edgware).
