Oh, Calamity! The Dons suffered their heaviest defeat in any game, friendly or competitive, for about a dozen years or so when they visited Esher to meet the Welsh Guards on Saturday. It makes one wonder whether it would have been wiser to close down for the duration.

The team travelled light, and Chairman Mr Jack Brown and trainer Mr Charles Reed, both grand workers on behalf of the club, has something of a problem to sort things out.

Two players were loaned by the soldiers and a youngster named Johnson, who, I understand, was brought along by Bert Gregory, made up the quota. Some reshuffling of positions was necessary, but there were prospects of a fairly even game.

Disaster soon overtook the Dons. Three minutes after the start Stevens twisted a thigh muscle when taking a corner-kick. When Trainer Reed found massaging was hopeless he took the injured player pick-a-back to the Army van, in which he was transported to the dressing room.

The Guardsmen quickly took advantage of the Dons' handicap, and Jones scored with a shot to which Gregory went down too late. Griffin added a second soon after, but there was a suspicion of offside about this goal.

To make matters worse, Segt. Ringstock, who had been loaned by the Guards and played left-half, twisted his knee, and although Committeeman Sid Rickard applied massage, the sergeant was unable to resume.

When Trainer Reed came back, accompanied by the limping Stevens, who watched the game from the touch-line, the Dons were two men short. But they had reduced the lead, although it was from a palpably offside goal. Hambley had got through and shot. When the Guards' goalkeeper fumbled the ball Bradford, who had run up alongside Hambley, shot into the net. The referee, R.Q.M.S. Pearce, allowed the goal, although Bradford was actually behind the goalkeeper when the latter handled the ball. The Dons made a gallant fight against heavy odds, and there was no further scoring in the first half.

After the interval, however, the Guards, who had Bassett, the former Cardiff City player at centre-half, piled on the agony, and goals came with monotonous regularity. Griffin started the scoring and after Jones and F. Davies had notched one each, Starr, who can do 100 yard in evens, got a couple of beauties by reason of his speed and excellent ball control.

F. Davies, Starr and Griffin brought the total up to 10, and the Dons' players must have been glad when the final whistle sounded.

It was a humiliating experience for the Dons, but they had the consolation of finding a useful newcomer in Johnson. He was the only good forwards after Stevens left.