1948
Saturday, 20 November 1948
London Charity Cup - 1st Round
Plough Lane
 
Wimbledon
Harry Stannard (4), Ron Head
5 - 2
Leyton
?

Vic Bird and Freddie Gauntlett were both selected for debuts in the forward line in place of Les Dowding, who had played his last game for the club, and Ron Head. Bird, however, had signed amateur forms with Fulham and was playing for them, so Head earned a reprieve.

The game was a personal triumph for stand-in captain Harry Stannard, who scored four of the five goals registered by the home side, although the game itself was not as one-sided as the score might suggest. Leyton took the lead after seven minutes when Morris received a pass from Jolly near the half-way line and beat several challenges before cutting in to shoot across Haydock, who could only push the ball at the incoming Taylor, who scored with ease. Against the run of play Stannard was scheming on the wings to create chances and Head had two efforts comfortably cleared before putting the third one in with a left foot drive. The Dons’ right-wing was working hard to gain the initiative, but the next goal came from the other side as the keeper was challenged by Jack Wallis when trying to clear Frank Lemmer’s free-kick, the ball fell on the floor to Stannard and he made no mistake with a simple tap-in.

Seven minutes into the second half it was all square when Jolly’s free-kick was only half-cleared and Taylor crossed it back in for Morris to score. Wimbledon were making little headway before a mix up in the Leyton area resulted in a defender knocking the ball down with his shoulder. Stannard stepped up to score from the spot. This livened the game, and the home side, up considerably, and with fifteen minutes left George’s attempt to clear Gauntlett’s cross sent the ball towards his own goal. Stannard was waiting and gladly ploughed the ball into the net for his hat-trick. Three minute later the centre-forward got his fourth after a nice passing move between Wallis and Smith.