SURREY CHARITY SHIELD.
Kingstonians Lose to Metrogas.

Kingstonians bade adieu to their last chance of gaining a trophy in their first season, when on Saturday they went to Old Kent-road to replay with Metrogas the Surrey Charity Shield semi-final. It will be remembered that in the match at Kingston Metrogas were down 2-0, then in the Second half scored from a lucky penalty, and near the end drew level. On Saturday, with the advantage of the ground - a very considerable advantage in this case - the gasmen had the better of exchanges and won comfortably by two goals to nil.

It is difficult to fathom exactly what was lacking in the Kingstonian team, but they certainly failed to come up to the usual standard. They did not lose because of brilliance on the part of their opponents, for the football generally was not of high standard. But frequently the Kingstonians failed where in like circumstances in other matches they have got through to success. Perhaps the peculiar nature of the ground had much to do with the failure. Only Crick, of the forwards, showed anything like top form, and he was unlucky in several attempts to score. The halves were below par, Wood perhaps doing the best. Makepeace did much that was good, but made several bad miskicks. Vivyen-Davies, however, was in good form, but the star of the Kingstonian team was Winyard, whose cool, sound play in goal undoubtedly prevented a much higher score being put up against the visitors.

Kingstonians opened in promising style, and quite early Harry and Stentiford were threatening the goal, and Stentiford put wide when well placed. Generally, however, play favoured the home team during this half, but the forwards were weak in their finishing-efforts, and when they did get in shots, sometimes from positions which appeared to leave them certain scorers, Winyard proved too good for them.

Perhaps the narrowest escape the "K.'s" goal had was when Winyard fell in saving, and Bryson, from less than a yard out, put the ball to the wrong side of the post. Several corners for the Metrogas were well placed and led to some exciting moments around Kingstonians' goal, but the ball was kept out. Kingstonians, as the result, chiefly, of efforts on the left wing, had their turns of attack, but Steward in goal was not much troubled. Henson put in several good runs, and centres from one of which Stentiford, when in front of the goal, just missed in an attempt to head in, the ball going on to Harry whose shot was cleverly tipped over the bar by Steward. This was perhaps the nearest approach to scoring in this half the Kingstonians, and the interval came without either goalkeeper having been beaten.

After being on the aggressive from the restart Metrogas scored, after ten minutes play, through Calvert, whose shot from between a bunch of players close in gave no chance to Winyard. Much mid-field play followed but the Kingstonian forwards did not seem able to get going properly, and, moreover, otherwise promising movements were often nullified by the offside rule. Crick worked hard and well, and both he and Wright had good tries for goal.

Generally, however, Metrogas still had the game well in hand, but it was not until the latter stages that Calvert got their second goal, heading in a centre from the right- Kingstonians played in much better style after this, and the home defenders were often hard pressed. Several corners were forced, and Yates had hard luck with a good shot. Crick deserved at least one goal, but it was not to be, and time came with the score remaining:-

METROGAS …………………….2
KINGSTONIANS………………...0

The teams were:-
Kingstonians: W.Winyard; F. Vivyen-Davies and F. Makepeace; W. Millis, A.Yates and J. Wood; A.H. Henson, G.R. Stentiford, A.E. Harry, W. Wright and H.E. Crick.
Metrogas: H. Steward; F. Morgan and W. Lawford; W. Keen, J. Whitmarsh and E. Keen; F. Devlin, J. Bryson, F. Calvert, G. Hall and W. Harding.

Report from Surrey Comet dated 14 Apr 1920- see report in original format.

Additional report from Surrey Advertiser dated 14 Apr 1920.