The 44th FA Amateur Cup final was due to be played at Upton Park but bomb damage at West Ham’s ground would have limited the attendance to 35,000. Such was the interest in the game that it was eventually switched to Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium which was able to accommodate all the supporters of the two London rivals.

Backed by a large part of the enthusiastic crowd of 47,008 Wimbledon began brilliantly against fellow Isthmian Leaguers Leytonstone and they could have been several goals ahead in the opening quarter. Incisive passing set up an early chance for left winger Tommy Laker but he headed wide. Then, with ten minutes on the clock, captain Frank Lemmer released Ron Head with a free kick and from his cross Harry Stannard fired the ball into the net.

The goal seemed to unsettle the Essex team and Wimbledon dominated the next period but could not make their superiority pay. Leytonstone were reduced to long clearances from defence in an attempt to relieve the pressure but gradually their half backs Banham and Kavanagh began to win control of the midfield and the tide turned. The Wimbledon forward line stopped functioning as a unit and the Stones’ inside forwards Bunce and Noble started menacing the Dons goal.

‘Bunny’ Groves, the Leytonstone centre forward, was beginning to unsettle his markers and soon Jim Haydock was called into action in the Wimbledon goal. With 37 minutes gone Crowe lobbed in a centre and Groves had a shot charged down only for the ball to fall to Noble. With Haydock out of position the ‘Stones forward fired a weak shot at goal and to general astonishment the ball eluded centre half ‘Sailor’ Clark and trickled into the goal off the upright.
The Dons were on the back foot now and just minutes before the interval Leytonstone forced two corners in quick succession. Haydock tipped the first one over the bar but from the second unmarked right winger Smith forced the ball home Crowe’s cross from close range with the Wimbledon defence in disarray.

The second half was a scrappy affair as the ‘Stones tried to hold onto their lead and run down the clock but Wimbledon did have some late chances to equalise. First Stannard’s header hit the bar and when he knocked the rebound goalwards centre half Ken Lister appeared from nowhere to lift the ball away to safety.

Pat Edelston was brought down in the box but the referee, Major Ling, waved play on before, in the last minute, the Dons forced another corner and this time it was half back Lemmer’s turn to head the ball onto the crossbar.

Most judges reckoned that the Dons had been unlucky to lose after having so much of the play but two ‘soft’ goals cost them dear. The final was a handsome payday however with the club banking a healthy £1,521 as their share of the £7,545 total gate receipts. Sadly it was to be sixteen years before Wimbledon reached the amateur game’s showpiece event again.