EXETER WIN IN THE LAST MINUTE: A FINE GOAL

SATURDAY, APRIL 6TH 1912.
Southern League: City v Leyton

Exeter City scored a notable victory at Reading yesterday, in spite of having Fort injured early in the game, and being carried off the field. The injury was purely accidental, and is not very serious, although extremely painful. A taxi was ordered to meet Exeter City's train on its arrival at St. David's at 3.10 a.m., today, and in this Fort was taken home.

• The Argyle and Luton teams were also in the train which brought the Exeter party home, and the Luton party stayed at the Bude Hotel last night, leaving for Plymouth this morning. The Leyton eleven picked to play at Exeter today was the one which had drawn at Bristol against the Rovers yesterday. The club is fighting desperately to avoid relegation, but having a mere nineteen points from 32 matches, and bottom of the table, appears to have little chance of doing so.

The City team was not picked until shortly before the start, and then it was decided to rest Griffiths, who had done very well indeed at Coventry, and had scored one of the goals at Reading. Garside was reintroduced at outside-left, Rigby played right half, and Bassett right-back. The turf was in fine condition but the sky was overcast, and a strong wind was blowing down the field. A crowd of about 5,000 gave the City an encouraging reception in recognition of their splendid performance at Reading.

Teams:
CITY: Pym Bassett Evans Rigby Pratt Lockett Parnell Watson Rutter Cornan Garside
Referee: Mr G.Bennett, of Bristol.
LEYTON: Whitbourne Busby Newton Buchanan Bell Gray Holland Ryder Payne Elliott Burrell 

The Game: The crowd were leaving the ground by the time the City scored the only goal of the match. A free-kick had been given for a foul; Bassett placed it beautifully, and Cornan headed past Whitbourne into the top of the net. With this exception the match was practically devoid of any interesting or good football, the high wind and light ball being a great handicap to the players. In the first half the Grecians had by far the greater share of the play but the forwards were erratic near goal, Whitbourne being seldom tested seriously. Occasionally Leyton belied their League position, and exhibited excellent form, and the home goal escaped miraculously when Bell's shot struck the crossbar, and Elliott put the rebound right over the top of it.
In the second half Leyton were almost entirely on the end of various attacks, shots, and charges by the City forwards, yet for the most part the final efforts lacked either direction, or were too weak, and Whitbourne 's goal was seldom in real danger. The spectators had resigned themselves to a draw until the last minute goal referred to above.
Exeter City 1, Leyton 0.