Golders Green showed a lamentable absence of form in their last match of the season on Saturday - the Barnet Hospital Cup - in which they met Barnet on the Underhill ground and were defeated by 4-2.

The competition was for one of the series of charity cups given by Mr. Will Mather, and the match attracted quite a good attendance, but the football was disappointing.

Barnet played a good game, but all that could be said of Golders Green was that it was a good thing this was the end of the season, and not the beginning. Many attacks were started but fizzled out through weak passing, or hesitation at the crucial moment ; the forwards did not show the combination and understanding of recent weeks ; in the first half the half-back line suffered through Bucci and Long changing wings - due, of course, to Bucci's injured right temple - while the backs were quite unable to cope with the Barnet attacks, whether on the wings or through the centre.

In the second half Golders Green made the mistake in neglecting Breagan for a long period when he might have shown some results. Graves inspired little confidence and invited blame for one of the goals against the Green.

The only change made from the previous week's team was the inclusion of Bucci and Barlow, both recovered from their injuries. Barnet turned out the strongest team available, but were without Finch at outside-left and Richardson at left-half, Faircloth and Aylott coming in.

Barnet won the toss and decided to fight the wind in the first half playing up the slope. From the kick-off Evans took a pass from Long and sent in a nicely judged shot whih Kimber held. From the clearance the Barnet right wing attacked and Jordan centred across the goalmouth, but a header by Faircloth and a shot by Hawkes failed, and W. Boston blocked another from Aylott. Golders Green came down again and Thomas, taking up a centre from Breagan, passed to Ellison, who hooked the ball round when almost behind the goal, but again Kimber was ready.

The Green's goal had two more narrow escapes ; the second when Bucci, stopping a ball from Faircloth, had to pass back to Barlow, and he cleared with Macfarlane almost on him.

Barnet were swinging the ball about well, and the reward came after ten minutes when FAIRCLOTH, taking up a forward pass, got through and shot well past Barlow to give Barlow the lead.

At this point the Golders Green attack suffered by an injury to Evans, but they came near to equalising when Bucci got his left foot to one of Boston's centres and reached Kimber with a forceful shot. Soon afterwards Boston forced a corner of the goalkeeper. Breagan forced another corner, but at the other end Jordan made Barlow concede one, from which Kelleher headed wide.

In the Green's next advance Ellison got a clear shooting chance from Breagan's work, but Kimber gathered the ball. Barnet survived a couple of corners, but the second was a narrow shave, F. Boston hooking the ball back over his head and dropping it just over the bar.

Golders Green, whose form had been very disappointing, were playing a stronger game now, but Thomas was keeping the ball much too close, and when he did try a long shot of Breagan he skied the ball. Breagan was trying hard for a goal, but could not penetrate, and promising work was wasted when Thomas headed over after the ball had gone from W. Boston to Fred Boston and Evans by a series of neat passes.

With five minutes to go [to the interval] KELLEHER beat Graves and W. Boston to score Barnet's second goal with a good shot along the ground from rather far out.

Practically on time, however, the spell was broken and THOMAS, from a pass by Breagan, shot from close in to score for the Green.

Half-time : Barnet 2 ; Golders Green 1.

At the re-start Graves gave away a goal by short passing back to Barlow when he might have cleared, MACFARLANE, following up, beat Barlow to the ball and Barnet led by 3-1. It was now Barnet's game absolutely, and they nearly scored a fourth when Faircloth broke away but struck the side of the net.

At the other end Ellison had bad luck in hitting the upright after Bucci had presented him with an opening, but Golders Green were playing poor football, and the only question seemed how many goals Barnet would score.

Their fourth came through GERRANS from a corner, but immediately Golders Green attacked and Thomas passed through for ELLISON to net the Green's second.

The Golders Green halves were now forgetting Breagan and trying to place too much work on the centre or on F. Boston, who was not at his best. In the closing stages Evans and Thomas was injured.