KINGSTONIANS' DEBUT.
Lose to Southall by 2-4 in Athenian League.
Kingstonians and Southall made their debut in the Athenian League together, at Southall on Saturday. An excellent game was the result, play being notable for its frequency of attack. Southall took the points by 4-2, the goals being scored in this order:- Southall-Kingston-Southall, half-time; Southall-Southall-Kingston.
The advantage was, of course, with Southall. The club, which has been kept in existence throughout the war, invariably does well on its own ground, and their opponents were playing together for the first time- a new club in Surrey senior football. To lose, therefore, by a margin of only two goals was a position which gave no concern to Kingston supporters. Rather were they convinced that the team played better than might have been expected, and the opinion is that when the side gets cohesive force, and a little more "snap" into individual movements, the Kingstonians should be able to hold their own in any League encounter that may be before them.

Southall's Incisive Attack.
Quite a number of supporters availed themselves of motoring facilities to Southall, and in weather strongly suggestive of a hot afternoon in July the teams faced each other with Southall facing the sun. Play began, and was continued, on the lines indicated by the differing stances.

The Southall attack, sharp and incisive, was given a brighter colour because the opposing defence disclosed all the weaknesses for which one was prepared. For the greater part no one in the Kingstonians' team knew exactly what the others could do, the result being a hesitancy of which Southall were not slow to take advantage. At an early stage Austin was off the field for a brief period, receiving attention for a cut on the head, and soon after his return the goal which had seemed so imminent on many occasions crowned a particularly keen Southall attack, Webster netting with a fast and very low drive. This came about when play had been in progress some twenty minutes.

At the end of the next quarter of an hour a free-kick awarded to Kingstonians near their goal put all their forwards on the move and Mansey got to within two yards of Southall's goal before putting the ball into the net. But the score remained equal perhaps not more than a minute, Cripps beating Warner with a fast drive, and Southall regained the lead.

There is nothing very extraordinary about a missed penalty, though more often than not a score results. But there is also a moral effect when a side needs all the luck that may be going and fails to profit from such a penalty against the other team. In this match the situation arose through Woodward being bowled over, but it was far from being the worst offence of his kind. Mansey took the shot, and kicked hard and true into the goalkeeper's hands. The incident scarcely deserved to cost Southall a goal, and, as it did not do so, perhaps there was at sort of rough justice for all concerned in the way things sorted themselves out. At any rate, Mansey's failure was the immediate precursor of half-time, with Southall only one goal to the good.

No Long Range Shooting.
There was an extended interval, enlivened by a band, but the sun still shone brightly when Kingstonians defended the railway goal. For a period the visitors were hemmed in on all sides, but Southall did not try any long shots, preferring to manoeuvre for position in the style so familiar to those acquainted with professional football. On so good a surface shooting at fairly long range might have paid either side. Now and again the Kingstonian forwards got away, for which Makepeace, who had been getting through a tremendous amount of work at right back, must have been rather thankful. But ever the ball came back, and Warner, occasionally a trifle weak in fielding the ball, dropped it whilst on his knees. There being no instantaneous effort for it's recovery the ball lay motionless in front of goal, and Cripps had the easiest task to tap it into the net. This 3-1 soon became 4-1, Webster's fast shot getting home.

Then there seemed to come to Mansey a possible chance, but without result, and a free-kick against Makepeace led to anxious moments for Kingston, Warner having to concede a corner. The last incident in this bright and fast game was a free-kick for hands against Southall, and some of the combination which will be developed presently led to Wright scoring the last goal, and Kingston's second.
Teams:-
Kingstonians: C. Warner: F. W. Makepeace and J. Corbett; G. R. Stentiford, T. P. Sheehy and H. E. Crick; W.J. Wright, M. P. Austin, H. Mansey, E. Edwards and W. Woodward.
Southall: F. Matthews; A. Tanner and. B. Ives; E. Palmer, W. Ives and W. Harry; W. Berry, H. Webster, W. Harrison, J. Cripps, A. Stone.
Referee: Mr. J. H. Walker.

Report from Surrey Comet dated 10 Sep 1919 - see report in original format.

Additional report from Surrey Advertiser dated 10 Sep 1919
Additional report from Uxbridge Gazette dated 12 Sep 1919