The game was touch and go due to the weather, with the ground described as a skating ring (!) in Friday’s Wimbledon News, so much so that the programme was unusually printed without a date on the cover, but more snow overnight covered the ice and by kick-off the referee deemed was fit to play, although described as extremely treacherous.

Wimbledon were able to cope better with the conditions than Corinthian League side Grays, who had beaten Dulwich Hamlet after a replay in the previous round, and by the end the score could have been even more in the Dons’ favour. However, Grays had an early opportunity when a defensive error let in Goddard, but Haydock brilliantly tipped away his cross shot. Once they had settled the home side treated the 3,000 crowd to some delightful passing football, with the inside forwards causing consternation in the visitor’s defence. Laker should have opened the scoring when Edelston ran clear down the right, but stabbed the resultant cross over, and then Haydock was forced to save first-time shots from Avery and Brand. Most of the play was from the home forwards though, and with thirty minutes gone they got their reward. Laker beat Manley on the right and switched the ball to Nash; he crossed for Stannard who side-stepped Franks and beat the keeper with a left foot drive. Head twice almost doubled the lead soon after, but his first shot missed and his second was turned around for a corner, and the visitors were lucky to go into the break as the half ended with their goal under pressure.

Eight minutes after the interval the tie was as good as over. It was almost a copy of the first, Laker switching to Nash who crossed for Stannard, this time the forward pushed the ball sideways to Edelston, who beat the keeper. Were it not for the conditions the home team would surely have scored more as they gave the visiting defence little respite, yet Grays never gave up the battle and when Manley’s long-range effort came back off the post, hit a defender and bounced back towards goal, Haydock had to throw himself onto the ball on the goal-line. When Haydock was caught out of position Clarke was on hand to clear a Brand header. Laker completed the scoring at the mid-point of the half; a tussle near the half-way line between Stannard and Aldridge resulted in a quickly taken free-kick by Magill that set Stannard away and his pass left Laker with an easy chance, which he took. The upper hand was with the home side and only one more chance fell to Grays, with two minutes to go, when Goddard found himself free in front of goal, three yards out, but mis-kicked.