Golders Green promised well in the opening stages of their London Senior Cup match on the Hayes ground on Saturday, for though Hayes put out their strongest team, they did not show the best of form and the fowards were obviously not a line of scorers. Hayes were the first to score, Friday putting them ahead with a goal cleverly worked in the first five minutes, but Golders Green equalised midway through the half, brilliant work by Owen bringing the goal. But Golders Green did not last the pace, and Hayes had no very great difficulty in maintaining their unbeaten home record.

Golders Green played Coppola at centre-forward, and he was not strong enough against the half-back Richards. But the trouble lay more with the halves. Graves, although he gave the centre-forward a lot of trouble, was one of the offenders in failing to clear strongly, and Ward was not full value at right-half. In the hottest moments Bucci was about the coolest man in the Golders Green team, but Caswell played quite a good game, while Barlow brought off some grand saves.

F. Boston, on the left wing, well supported by Owen, gave Coppola some scoring chances and also got in several of his " specials ", but Greygoose, in the Hayes goal, was able to deal with them.

Golders Green won the toss and chose to play with the wind. They started pressing at once, but after a wide shot by F. Boston, Hayes broke away in the centre and Friday let fly, but Barlow punched out, and another shot from the centre went over the top. W. Boston miskicked and let Marchant away, but Caswell slipped across to clear the ball and Golders Green worked down on the right wing. Breagan, interchanging short passes with Long, came within scoring distance, but was put off by Gibson as he steadied for the shot.

A moment's neglect of Farrow by Caswell let him through, and he centred well to FRIDAY, who outwitted Graves and gave Hayes the lead in the sixth minute.

Golders Green pressed hard for an equaliser, and Owen forced a corner, from which Coppola shot into the goalkeeper's hands. Then Breagan and Long drew the defence and Breagan transferred the ball to Boston, who only got in a poor shot.

Bucci was inclined to wander too much in the first half, and this put too much work on Caswell.

Farrow looked like increasing the Hayes lead, but lifted the ball too high, and Barlow cleared twice from Marchant.

The Hayes halves and forwards were working better together than was the case with Golders Green, and their passing was pretty to watch, but the forwards were less stylish in their finishing work. The Golders Green forwards too often left Coppola entirely on his own against four defenders.

At last, twenty minutes from the start, F. Boston took up a pass from Bucci, made ground and passed to Owen, who slipped round his opponents and lofted the ball, giving COPPOLA an easy task to head it into the net.

Breagan promised another for Golders Green, but shot high, and Ward tried a long shot which fell just short of the posts. Golders Green forced a corner from which Greygoose had to punch out, and following another corner, F. Boston shot without success.

Hayes got away again and Barlow was tested by Marchant and Farrow. Before half-time W. Boston was injured and he moved to the right wing, Breagan going to right-half and Ward to right back. There were frequent raids by the Hayes wings, but Golders Green were putting up a stong show, and when the interval arrived there were visions of a draw and extra time.

After the change-over, however, Hayes threw themselves into the game with more vigour, and there came many thrilling moments, with the home team clearly the more dangerous. Barlow was twice injured, but achieved some marvellous saves. Graves' close attention to Friday sent him wandering, but did not destroy the force of the attack, and it became increasingly obvious that Golders Green would not hold out at such a pace.

MIDDLETON scored Hayes' xzecoind goal in a mix-up, and it was after this that Golders Green invited further calamity by playing about with the ball in front of goal instead of clearing it away. It was no surprise when FRIDAY broke through to net the third for Hayes.

In the closing stages Graves moved to centre-forward and livened up the Golders Green attack, but it was too late to make up the lost ground.