After a couple of games in the reserves to prove his recovery from a cartridge injury Jimmy Cousins was selected for his first start of the season ahead of stalwart Len Cannon, whose days were numbered and soon dropped down to assist the development of the strollers team. Stannard and Head returned to the attack in place of Wallace and Bull, with Green moving to outside-left to accommodate the changes.

It was a dull game, littered with injuries and dominated by the defence, but with a bang at the end to make the game memorable for the travelling Wimbledon fans. Tuckey, the Clapton centre-forward had to retire with an ankle injury after twenty minutes and Jim Smith was unable to take the field for the second half as he was on his way to hospital with a dislocated jaw. Head set up the first goal, beating several opponents before shooting low and hard and forcing Robson to parry the ball and Green threw himself at the rebound and directed it into the net. Green and Stannard both missed easy chances to further the lead before the break.

The same two players both again missed chances in the second half, but the game was more even with the numbers equal. With fifteen minutes left Clapton, with a strong wind behind them, realised they might be able to get something from the game and pressed hard at goal. With five minutes left on the clock Cousins made his only mistake of the game, knocking the ball down with his hands whilst trying to clear during a goalmouth scramble, but Haynes â€" the home skipper â€" put the penalty yards wide. But that was not the end of matters! In the last minute Picton moved forward to clear a ball and it bounced awkwardly onto his arm and the referee pointed to the spot again. Haynes handed the responsibility to Bowery, but this time Haydock was in his way and stepped across to make a fine save before clearing, an incredible end to an otherwise uninteresting game.