Mick
Life President
and here is a match report:
No.2 Div 3 (South)
Wednesday 4th September 1946
Clapton Orient 1-1 Southend United.
Southend continued their good start to the season by gaining their third point from two games with a draw against Clapton Orient only capitulating in the last few minutes by which time the light was so bad that Hankey can be somewhat excused for allowing the Orient to score direct from a corner kick. Rain had been falling at the start of the match but this had stopped by half time resulting in the pitch being in a sticky condition. The United were in confident mood and this was confirmed after twenty five minutes when Dudley netted from twenty yards with a fierce shot after a melee. Sheard was a tower of strength with Jackson and Bell working hard, while of the forwards Dudley and Hamilton played brilliant football. The Orient equaliser came five minutes from time with a shot which seemed hardly possible from the stands. The attendance was 6,300 and the Orient club are waiting for approval for their change of name to Leyton Orient. Unfortunately in the excitement of the closing stages play became somewhat vigorous and a small section of the crowd demonstrated against Southend after Hamilton had been spoken to by the referee and the Police removed about half a dozen people who had encroached onto the pitch. Team; Hankey; Jackson and Bell; Harris, Sheard and Walton; Smirk, Hamilton, Dudley, Thompson and Lane.
Make up your mind reporter. Was the equaliser an unbelievable shot or a corner that slipped in ?