Wood Green Town 5 St. Albans City 2

Saturday 3rdJanuary 1942

Coles Park, Tottenham

Again experiencing difficulties in raising a team, St. Albans City were well beaten in their return Herts and Middlesex League match at Wood Green on Saturday. Had they taken their chances in the first half, they might well have enjoyed an interval lead, but in the second half, when they were facing a stiff breeze, they were outplayed and only saved from a heavier defeat by the grand defensive work of Leslie Hall and splendid goalkeeping by Powell.

The Citizens' chief source of weakness was at full back. With only E. Jones of the South Lancs quintet available. H. Crossley suffering from an injury and Stan Kirkham absent owing to a family bereavement, the Citizens had to rely upon three newcomers – Darby, Christie and Aston - from another Artillery unit, and did not muster any player accustomed to the full-back position. B. Dunstan, a regular member of last season's half-back line, now in the R.A.F. and home on leave, started at left back, with Darby as his partner, but Darby did not settle down and changed places with the diminutive Jones, who has hitherto figured at centre-forward.

A SHARPSHOOTER SUBDUED.

Wood Green, a club who run a number of junior teams and have been able to fill the vacancies which the call-up has made in their ranks by the introduction of youngsters, again had the assistance of S. Bennett, their old centre-forward, who the previous week had celebrated his return to the side during a period of leave by piling on five goals against Wealdstone . Flushed by their victory in that game, Wood Green made a dashing start and were two goals up within five minutes, before St. Albans' nondescript eleven had had a chance to settle down. But Bennett did not figure among the scorers, being completely subdued by Hall.

The first goal was scored after two minutes' play and followed a corner-kick on the right. Newman headed against the crossbar and the ball rebounded to CASTELL, who netted with a low shot from close range. In clearing a further corner-kick, Powell received a leg injury and limped for a period. After five minutes, Bennett delivered a hard shot, Powell beat the ball out. It went to MILLEDGE, who, from the edge of the penalty-area, attempted a first-time drive which hit the underside of the crossbar, close to its junction with the post, and rebounded into the net.

After Jones and Darby had changed places, St. Albans improved and had the better of the remainder of the first half, but their marksmanship was never as good as that of Wood Green, whose forwards hit the ball with power and accuracy, which gave Powell many chances to shine.

ROBINSON'S GOOD WORK REWARDED.

After seventeen minutes the Citizens opened their account. Robinson, easily the best of the forwards, made a grand run on the right wing, beating five opponents before centring to ASTON, who netted with a neat overhead kick. Subsequently. Richardson, the Wood Green goalkeeper, did well to gather a curling shot from Saunders beneath the crossbar, but he should have been beaten by Pipe, who failed with an easy chance from close range following a miskick by Dawes and by Aston, who outdistanced the opposing backs and then shot straight at the custodian. In one spell of pressure by the Citizens, a number of shots were charged down and Wood Green survived two appeals for penalty-kicks for hands.

In the second half Dunstan and Jones changed places. Wood. Green, with the wind, which had stiffened, at their backs, applied heavy pressure and the Citizens' backs found difficulty in clearing; but Hall was ever in the thick of the fray. His tackling was strong: he showed splendid judgment in covering his colleagues and eased many dangerous situations with powerful kicking and good headwork.

Powell effected a series of brilliant saves before CASTELL increased Wood Green's lead twelve minutes after the resumption. The left-winger, meeting a pass from Bennett, rounded Dunstan, cut in and, pivoting on the ball unexpectedly, crashed an unstoppable right-footed drive into the top corner of the net. Five minutes later St. Albans replied, rounding off their best movement of the day. Darby put Robinson through. He passed to Aston who. after tricking Cuthbert, sent the ball on to PIPE. The left-winger dribbled past Dawes before netting with a well-placed cross ground shot.

WOOD GREEN'S QUICK REPLY.

Within two minutes, however, Wood Green scored again. Bennett tried to force his way through, and as he was challenged delivered a hot drive which hit the post and rebounded across the goalmouth to be cleared. The referee, however, adjudged that Bennett had been fouled as he shot and awarded a penalty-kick, which DAWES converted with a low drive which Powell had no chance of reaching.

Wood Green, certainly a much-improved side, with Cuthbert, Ferrer, Ford, Milledge, a dangerous marksman, and Castell outstanding, completed the scoring eight minutes from the close, when ANDERSON, left unmarked following a corner-kick, hooked the ball through.

Richardson tried hard to get St. Albans' forwards going, but Pipe spoilt a number of movements by the frequency with which he got into offside positions. Darby and Christie did some good work at wing half-back, but Dunstan and Jones never shaped like backs, with the result that Hall, who got through a tremendous amount of defensive work in polished fashion, and Powell were seldom out of action in the second half.

Wood Green Town:A. Richardson; A. Dawes, L. Ferrer; J. Anderson, J. Cuthbert. J. Stacey; R. Ford. J. Newman, S. Bennett. R. Milledge. T. Castell.

St. Albans City:H. F. Powell; E. Jones, D. Dunstan; D. Darby, L. Hall, Christie; W. Saunders, T. Robinson, Aston, J. Richardson, B. Pipe.

Referee:Mr. T. M. Reay (Harrow).