SATURDAY MARCH 20TH.

CITY v QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS.

For the visit of the Rangers to St James's Park, the weather was beautifully fine and the ground in perfect condition. There were 4,000 present at the start. Unfortunately the football was of poor quality, although the mistakes and haphazard play were partly attributable to the lively new ball on a dry pitch.

CITY

Pym

Marshall Strettle

Rigby Pratt Smith

Holt Cox Goodwin(W) Lovett Dockray

Referee:- Mr F.Curtis, of Bristol.

RANGERS

Donald Simons Miller Birch Thompson
Whyman Wilde Broster

Pullen Millington

McLeod

The Rangers, a hefty lot of players, had considerable height and weight advantage over the Exonians, and this, added to a suspicion of good luck, enabled them to win. Avoirdupois and inches enabled Millington and Pullen to stop the light-weight individualists in Exeter's front line, the more so because the home forwards showed little in the way of thrust, and received indifferent support from behind. The only man of weight in the City forward line was Lance-corporal Cox of the Devon Regiment, who was playing in his first Southern League game, and whose inexperience made him comparatively easy prey for Pullen.

Dockray's Pertinacity.

Rigby won the toss, and Exeter, playing with the sun and wind at their backs, did fairly well in the first quarter of an hour, and Millington was fortunate to save his goal during a melee, while McLeod only saved with difficulty an awkward drive from Billy Goodwin, following clever play by the pertinacious John Dockray. At the other end Thompson, receiving after the ball had skidded right across the goalmouth, just missed the angle of the crossbar and upright with a fine shot. During the remainder of the first half there was a wearisome succession of free-kicks and throw-ins, although flashes of individual cleverness were occasionally seen. Donald and Wilde were prominent for Queen's Park, and Smith likewise for Exeter.

Exeter started the second half with promise, and Cox, though cumbersome in midfield, showed himself to be dangerous near the goal, giving McLeod a rasping shot which the goalkeeper saved with difficulty.

Birch, by a piece of opportunism, broke through single handed following a throw-in, drew Pym out, and scored a clever goal for the Rangers. From that moment the Rangers lost no opportunity of wasting time, being content to hang on to their lead.

For a few minutes Exeter exerted themselves, and following a free kick just outside the penalty area Cox had very bad luck with a terrific shot which cannoned against the goal post. With this encouragement the City made their last effort, but it came to nothing. Dockray was the only Exeter player to persevere till the end, and the other forwards would do well to take an example from the Carlisle man. Wilde played well as a substitute for Mitchell in the Queen's Fark Rangers team.