1949
Saturday, 17 December 1949
London Charity Cup - 2nd Round
Plough Lane
 
Wimbledon
Jimmy Smith (2), Harry Bull, Derek Clarke
4 - 3
Walthamstow Avenue
?
After Extra Time. 2-2 after 90 minutes

Young Derek Clarke continued to lead the line in the absence of Harry Stannard and the selection committee took the opportunity of the invitational minor cup, albeit at the semi-final stage, to shuffle the pack. Ron Head moved back up to his more usual inside forward position with Pat Field, who had represented Surrey the previous Saturday, promoted from the reserves to full back. Doug Munday was trialled up front, taking the opposing inside forward slot, Jock Woods fell back to centre-half and Jim Smith switched wings to allow Harry Bull a start on the opposite wing. Walthamstow were equally re-arranged with Lewis, Lunn and Saunders away on international trial duty.

Playing with a strong wind at their backs, Wimbledon dominated the first half, only brilliant goalkeeping from Robson keeping the visitors in the game before the Dons finally make the breakthrough in the twenty-sixth minute, Clarke neatly nodding a centre from Munday past the advancing custodian. Ten minutes later Smith doubled the lead with another header that Robson saw too late. Ken Lister should have further increased the lead from the penalty spot, but his carefully placed kick was brilliantly punched away.

Clarke and Head both missed good chances at the start of the second half, but Smith made no mistake seven minutes in, taking a long pass in his stride, cutting inside the defence and beating the keeper with a well placed drive. Despite the three goal deficit Avenue, now with the advantage of the wind, were still in the game, and their fight-back started with twenty-one minutes left when Jack Wallis was adjudged to have handled the ball and Preskett made no mistake from the spot and seven minutes from the end Tyrrell outpaced Lister and scored with a fast ground shot. Two minutes from the end Robson â€" the goalkeeper â€" dribbled the ball forward to within ten yards of the Wimbledon area before Arthur Maggs was able to clear into touch. From the throw-in Camis levelled the scores, forcing extra-time.

Walthamstow had two good chances early in the additional thirty minutes through Horsley and Tyrell, both missing from close range, but seven minutes in Bull got his head to Smith’s cross and Robson had no chance of saving. It proved to be the winner, although Jack Haydock had to make three great saved and Maggs cleared one off the line as Avenue’s claims for another handball penalty were waved away. Fixture congestion later in the season meant the final, against Dulwich Hamlet at Stamford Bridge, was held over to the start of the following season.