Last Home Match of the Season: Flag at half mast. 

Saturday, April 20th 1912.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE: CITY v PALACE

Last season: Palace 4 City 3.

In 1909-10: City 2 Palace 0.

Crystal Palace provided the fare at the last Southern League match to be played at St. James's Park this season. The Glaziers have at present rather a lengthy list of injured players, and up to last night were very uncertain about the constitution of their team for today's match. For a long time this season Crystal Palace occupied a high position in the League Table, and were even at one stage in the running for the Championship. Their decline followed their defeat at Sunderland in the Cup after an heroic struggle, and they have not done much since. Contrary to expectations Exeter City's old back, Bulcock, was able to take his place in the side. Williams was played in Harker's place, and Hanger rejoined the half-backs, so that, after all, the Palace were well represented. As far as the Exeter selection went, Fort was still unfit, and Bassett was kept at right-back, the team therefore being the one which was deprived of a win at Norwich by almost the last kick of the game.

Exeter City. Pym; Bassett, Evans; Rigby, Pratt, Lockett; E.Whittaker, Watson, Rutter, Cornan, and Garside.

Crystal Palace. Beach; Collyer, Bulcock; Hanger, Hughes, Hatton; Garratt Hewitt, Smith, Williams, and Davies.

Referee:- Mr R. Pook, of Portsmouth.

• Flag at Half-Mast.
  The ground flag was flown at half-mast, like the flags on all football grounds today, as a mark of respect for those who went down in the "Titanic". A collection was also made on the ground for the Titanic Fund, the Band's boxes being taken round for the purpose.

The Game.

There was a crowd of fully 5,000 at the start. The weather was perfect, but the ground was on the hard side. The feature of the game was the number of free-kicks conceded by Crystal Palace. It would be impossible to say how many times they were penalised, but it had a most detrimental effect on the match, which never rose to a high standard. The hard ground and light ball, too, handicapped the players, but the City had three or four unique opportunities of winning the match, which they failed to accept. From the way Exeter commenced there seemed as if there would little doubt of the final result, and for the first quarter of an hour the Palace were kept busy defending their goal. Then quite against the run of the play they broke away and forced a corner, from which Hewitt scored, Pym being at fault by allowing the ball to slip from his hands. Exeter, stung by this unexpected reverse, played up with more speed and force than ever, and Cornan whipped across a brilliant centre after dispossessing Hatton. Rutter, in an effort to chest the ball in, found himself entangled in the back of the rigging, but Watson was handy, and, quick to seize the opportunity, rammed the ball home. Play became faster after this, and twice the Palace were hard pressed to keep Exeter out. Hughes came in for a little straight talking to from the referee, then gave away another free-kick twenty yards out, from which Pratt shot over the bar.
At half-time the score was:
Exeter City 1 Crystal Palace 1.

• During the half-time interval, as the boxes and sheets were taken round again for the "Titanic" fund, the band played "Abide With Me", the hymn to the tune of which the tragic heroes of the leviathan went to their graves.
  
  

Second Half
In this half the game became very uninteresting. Time after time the Palace were pulled up for infringements, the sound of the referee's whistle becoming almost monotonous. It was perfectly obvious that the end of the season was in sight, the game being typical of that period. On the chances they got, the City ought to have won with a good margin, but apart from Garside and Watson the forwards were not in their best form, and Whittaker could not get the measure of Bulcock.One sympathises with Pym in letting through such a goal in the final home match. He failed to get a proper grip of the ball as it came across from a corner, and Hewitt scored an easy goal. On the whole, Pym had very little to do, whereas Beach, at the other end, was repeatedly being tested. The Palace were far from sporting in all their work, and Hughes twice offended badly. Relegation now lies between Luton, who go to Northampton next week, and Southampton, who receive Exeter City. The Grecians, therefore, will have a say in the matter up to the last. At the top of the table the Championship lies between Queen's Park Rangers, who have to go to Norwich next week, and Plymouth Argyle, who entertain New Brompton. Should the former lose and the Pilgrims win, the Championship comes West on goal average. The crowd at today's match was one of the biggest of the season, and the collection for the Titanic" fund, arranged by the Exeter City Supporters' Club, realised £10. 12s. 9d. This is the largest collection ever made at St.James's Park.

TORQUAY TOWN v CITY RESERVES.

This match was the return friendly fixture, the former going to the favour of Exeter City by five to nil. Play opened with sharp attacks in turn by both sides, and in less than a minute Bailey opened the scoring for Exeter Reserves. After several attempts Singlehurst, the old City player of pre
Southern League times, equalised with a good shot, and Torquay found the net a second time but the whistle had already gone for a foul. Reed and Luscombe sent in some good centres, but Griffiths and Labbett defended and tackled well for the Reserves. Pridham twice beat the opposition single-handed, but failed just at the wrong time. However, Pridham eventually scored from Luscombe's centre, after the ball had rebounded off the upright. Exeter opened the second half in fine style, being early on the attack, and Addicott sent in a shot which Davy just managed to divert for a corner. Singlehurst, for Torquay, shot too high when well placed, and the Reserves continued to do most of the attacking, but could not pierce the home defence.
Final:
Torquay Town 2 -1 City Reserves 


Wednesday, April 24th 1912.
PLYMOUTH AND DISTRICT LEAGUE.

Exeter City Reserves beat the Royal Garrison Artillery by two goals to nil, at Plymouth. The points will be shared between the City Reserves and St. Austell, neither of the matches having been played.