Canon Basil Wilberforce remained as Honorary President although Dr. Russell Bencraft, the senior committee member, was responsible for the running of the club.

[2] The match was played at the Antelope Ground in very muddy conditions, with the frozen pitch being softened by rain; the mud was reported to be "ankle deep at the Infirmary End".

[6] Amongst the pupils at Banister Court was the 16-year-old Charles Miller, who would go on to become the "father of Brazilian football",[7] although he was deemed "too light" to play against St. Mary's burly full-backs.

[6] Despite the efforts of W. P. Cole in the Banister Court goal, who was reported to "throw the ball out like an expert labourer, with pints of beer in him, excavating a trench", St. Mary's won the match 3–0 to set up the final against the holders, the Royal Engineers from Aldershot Garrison on 14 March 1891.

Playing at the County Ground in front of a record crowd estimated at between 4,000 and 5,000,[6] who paid entrance fees totalling £63,[2] St. Mary's took the lead after 20 minutes, through Ernie Nicholls who produced "a stinging shot which no goalkeeper could have saved" although the Engineers were level by half-time, following a slip by the Saints' captain, George Carter.

In the second half, goals from Frank Bromley ("a cheer rent the air that might have been heard more than a mile away") and Bob Kiddle ("the delight of the Southampton people knew no bounds")[8] gave St. Mary's the victory, thus remaining undefeated in four seasons of Hampshire cup football.

During the after-dinner speeches, Dr. Russell Bencraft announced that the club "might enter for the English Cup, just for the sake of competing, as (he) felt sure they could hold their own against such teams as Swindon and Reading etc.