The appearance of the Apsley ground, with its steep sideways slope, promised ill for Golders Green on Saturday, but, though the ground played its part in their exit from the FA. Cup, Golders Green could not place the whole responsibility upon the strange conditions.

The wing halves were weak, leading to overwork for the backs, defensive tactics included too much pretty play and not enough robust clearances, and in the attack, Johnny Hill proved too light for the job, so that the forward line showed a weak link on the right.

F. Long should have been on the right wing, but he met with an accident the day before the match and injuries prevented him turning out, so Breagan was moved out to the wing with Hill at inside-right.

The arrangement soon proved unsatisfactory, and after half-time Breagan transferred to the inside position, succeeding in putting a little more life into matters, but it was not until skipper Graves suddenly introduced himself at centre-forward that Golders Green looked anything like the equal of Apsley. The change was miraculous. Following Graves' penalty goal, the visitors took the game into their own hands, and soon they could be called the only team on the field. But it was too late. Another five minutes would have seen a draw - or probably a verdict for Golders Green, but Graves' inspiration had been delayed a shade too long, and it falls to Apsley to meet Leytonstone in the next stage along " the road to Wembley."

The Apsley team has been improved by the inclusion of players from Leavesden, including Spurr, who was a continual source of danger on the right wing, while P. Hansard, late of Enfield, was a steady and knowing half-back. But the stars were the two goalkeepers, Barlow and Neal both bringing off some remarkable saves and earning the plaudits of the crowd.

From the start of the game it was clear that the unusual ground and Apsley's forceful methods were going to knock Golders Green off their form, but the Greens could have staved off their first-half reverse had they shown more thought in finding the right men when passing the ball and had the wing halves been quicker on the ball and more ready to tackle.

In the first few minutes Bucci pushed the ball forward to F. Boston, who swung it across to the right wing, and Breagan was unlucky not to find the net with a smart shot. Coppola sought to give him a second chance, but passed the ball too far forward. A corner resulted off Thornley, and from the place-kick Ward nearly shot through to the goal.

Then Apsley started in earnest, and a breakaway by Gurney looked dangerous, but W. Boston put him off his shot. Apsley tried to break through in the middle, but Graves and Boston turned them back, and after Spurr had lost the ball to Caswell at the end of a run down the wing, Graves sent Breagan away. The winger passed in to Hill, took the ball again after losing Hansard and passed across to F. Boston. The defence had been drawn effectively, but Boston shot right to Neal's foot.

Brown, playing a nice game, served F. Boston again, and he shot across the goalmouth. Breagan got his head to the ball, but Neal saved, and from the clearance Apsley attacked on the left. They gained a free-kick close in for hands, but this ended with a fruitless corner off W. Boston, who was knocked out for a few moments in heading the ball. The Apsley left wing came on again, and Gurney, met by Graves, passed across to Spurr, who had back luck in running the ball along the top of the crossbar.

In Golders Green's next attack F. Boston reached the goalkeeper without success, and Brown shot into Neal's hands. Golders Green gained a corner, following which Ward shot off Hill's pass, but Neal cleared, and when Breagan returned the ball to Coppola, the centre-forward headed too high. Bucci sent in a lovely long shot which Neal held, and Apsley pushed the visitors back, Caswell being forced by Spurr to concede a corner. This was cleared, but immediately afterwards Barlow had to leap up to hold from Spurr, and he also brought off a grand save from Edmonds. Apsley were now raiding on both wings, and the Golders Green defence were fiddling about with the ball instead of clearing the lines, but there came a moment's excitement when Graves eventually got the ball out to Breagan. The winger went away well, centred rather far across for Coppola, and F. Boston nipped in to take the shot. He struck the crossbar, and from the rebound Thornley headed the ball down practically into his oen goal, but Neal brought off a seemingly impossible save.

The game was 35 minutes old when Apsley opened the score. Whyman passed to Spurr and Golders Green appealed that the ball had been handled, but the referee waved the game on, and Spurr's centre was converted surely by J. BEACH.

Close on half-time Golders Green made a strenuous effort to equalise, and Neal had to clear three shots in rapid succession, but the one-goal lead was maintained.

Golders Green started shakily in the second half, and faulty passing made a gift of the ball to Sporr, who reached Barlow with a business-like shot. More danger came in this half from Apsley's centre-forward, who was not well marked, while W. Boston twice let himself be easily beaten by Gurney. Barlow punched out the second shot and Ward cleared from Whyman's return.

At the other end F. Boston secured the ball from a throw-in, passed to Brown, received the ball again round Hansard and drove in a fine long shot, but Neal was safe.

A nice piece of combined play by Hill and Breagan nearly led to an equaliser, but Hill came up against Thornley and winged the ball to F. Boston, who drove it above the bar.

Apsley's secong goal came when Graves was injured. The Golders Green defence should have put the ball out of play to secure attention b for him, but they overlooked the obvious safety measure and C. BEACH took the centre from Gurney, beating Barlow with a real goal-getter.

At this stage Breagan changed places with Hill, but though he proved a better inside man the prospects looked bad for the visitors until Graves moved forward and a penalty was awarded for a foul on him. GRAVES took the spot-kick himself and reduced the lead with 20 minutes still to go.

From then on the whole complexion of the game changed. For most of the time the Golders Green team were all in the Apsley half, corners were claimed by both wings, the Apsley defence were thrown into confusion, and Neal had a warm time. It was entirely to his credit that a draw was not forced. He dealt skilfully with shots from Breagan, Hill and Brown, turned one over from Boston for a corner, and made a beautiful save from the corner kick. Graves had a lot of hard luck in the last five minutes, and it was clear that an equaliser must have come if minutes had not been so scarce. The final whistle went with Golders Green all over the home team, and the closing excitement was fair compensation for the unsatisfactory work of the earlier stages.