1948
Saturday, 18 September 1948
Isthmian League
 
Kingstonian
?
1 - 1
Wimbledon
Harry Stannard

With Ron Head attending a friend’s wedding, the committee’s intention of pushing Jock Woods and Jack Wallis forward and bringing in Jack Picton was scuppered when the later arrived too late to take the field, so Holroyd â€" a regular in the reserves â€" was called into action and Dowding switched wings. Unfortunately the young Holroyd was up against Kingstonian’s Ridgewell, nicknamed Whippet, and he was given litte chance to shine in what would prove to be his only first team appearance.

Wimbledon’s cause was not helped by an knee injury to Lemmer after only fifteen minutes, and he was forced to switch places with Frank Lemmer and was little more than a passenger for the rest of the game. Kingstonian played fast and forceful, making full use of their speedy wingers, but their centring was off-key and the inside-forwards were wasteful when opportunities arose, which were few as Arthur Maggs was in outstanding form at the back, despite facing a bright sun in the first half. Haydock did well to deal with a header from Nicholls and had to give away a corner when Clements broke through, but slowly the visitors took control of the game and should have taken the lead when Harry Stannard beat two defenders and passed out to Holroyd, he switched it to the opposite wing and Dowding pushed it quickly back into the middle, but Charlie Smith sent it hopelessly wide. A scrum in the Dons’ goalmouth gave Clements a chance, but with Haydock out of position he miskicked. Stannard took advantage of this let-off to give Wimbledon the lead, taking a pass from Jim Smith, beating two opponents and then firing a shot along the ground past Knight, but the lead lasted only five minutes before Clements crossed for Nicholls to equalise. Stannard twice went close before the break, forcing Knight to fumble a shot that Eastman had to scramble clear and then having another shot deflected for a corner.

The pace continued after the interval and Stannard and Jim smith both went close for Wimbledon, with Watson and Clements repeating the near misses at the other end. Stannard then took the keeper by surprise with an over-head kick, but Knight recovered and was just able to push the ball away. Ken Lister send a free-kick wide as the Dons continued to search for the lead, and they increased the pressure in the last ten minutes. Knight was forced to concede a corner from Charlie Smith’s effort and Jack Wallis lobbed one in that only just cleared the bar, then Holroyd forced Knight to turn one over for another corner. The final whistle blew as the corner was kicked and the Dons were left with a praiseworthy point.