Ken Tucker, 21-year-old outside left, substitute for injured Jack Wood, scored a 'hat-trick' in his first League game for West Ham. The win, however, was not so outstanding as the score might suggest, for they were aided by the fact that Chesterfield had the misfortune to lose the services of Howsam, their centre forward, after 25 minutes.
He sustained a damaged ankle, and although he returned on the resumption of the second half, he could scarcley hobble along, and retired for good after a few minutes. His injury marked the turning point of the game in West Ham favour. Up to then the game had been evenly contested, with bith attacks showing plenty of liveliness, and some shooting which brought out the best in goalkeepers Gregory and Middleton. Within 10 minutes of Howsam retiring, however, the Hammers went ahead, and it was a further piece of luck for Chesterfield that led to the score, Milburn, best back on the field up to that point, slipped as he went to kick the ball, and left Tucker with a clear opening. The outside left seized it at once and cooly lifted the ball over the head of the advancing 'keeper into the net.
The initiative then passed to West Ham, but Chesterfield defended so galiantly that they were not again beaten until the second half had run 28 minutes of the course. Then, Tucker headed through from a corner kick by Woodgate. Eleven minutes later Tucker took advantage of a hesitant defence to nip in and beat Milburn and the Chesterfield 'keeper for the ball and shoot it into an empty net. With four minutes to go Proudlock fired in a first time drive which Middleton got down to but the ball twisted out of his grasp and screwed away over the line for the fourth goal.