"GENIUS WHO CAN'T SCORE" DOES HAT-TRICK
— W. H. BEE | 04/02/1935 —

There have been some mighty roars at the Arsenal Stadium, but I have never heard such a shout as came in the seventy-seventh minute of the match with Sheffield Wednesday, when Alex James — "the genius who can't score goals" — put his third for the afternoon past Brown.

Practically the whole of the stand was on its feet; the cheering lasted for several seconds — and Alex grinned as he has never grinned on a football field before.

Before this game, James's total for the season was one. If he gets more than three goals in a season it's an event. So Saturday's match was a double event.

All the afternoon the little fellow had been in his merriest mood. He had performed wonders against hard tackling halves; he had juggled with the ball as he has rarely juggled before; he had swung some bonny passes down the middle to Drake and out to the wings.

All to no avail. At half-time the score sheet was blank. In fact, apart from James's wizardry, the game had been on the dull side.

BUT BASTIN'S BEST.

What a different story after the breather, with the Arsenal getting four and Wednesday one.

James's three came at the end of fifty-four, sixty-one and seventy-seven minutes. After his second Palethorpe secured one, and ninety second from the end Bastin got the best of the match. It went in like a rocket from twenty-yards out following a corner. If Brown saw it, I'll be surprised.

Though Arsenal kept the points comfortably enough in the end, I thought Bastin was out of his element at inside right, and Beasley was far from happy on the left wing.

Arsenal halves brilliant; Moss again in the wards with a severely damaged shoulder. Fortunately for him he was rarely troubled so well was he covered.

Wednesday were without Starling. A pity for the forwards looked dangerous, but needed someone to weld them into a more powerful driving force.

Wingers neglected too much. Hopeless to insist on trying to break through the middle against a side like the Arsenal, who are so adept at blocking this road to goal.