CITY v NORTHAMPTON

A DRAWN GAME

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2ND
Southern League Match
at St. James's Park
City 1 Northampton 1.

Northampton were a very fortunate side at St. James's Park this afternoon, for the correct result of the game would have been a comfortable win for the Grecians. They did by far the bulk of the attacking, and the visiting goal survived some miraculous escapes. The afternoon was dry, for a change, but cold, and the attendance numbered five thousand at the start. Teams :

CITY
Pym Fort Hurst Rigby Pratt Lockett
Whittaker Cooper Rutter Crompton Ives
Referee:- Mr. Dockrill, of Luton.

COBBLERS:
Hughes Lewis King Freeman Walden Tomkins Hampson Tull Lloyd-Davies Clipstone Thorpe

Early in the game Hughes got away on the Northampton left, an swung across a centre which Walden lifted high over the bar. The City then took up the attack, Rutter driving the ball across the face of the goal with none of his colleagues in position to appl the finishing touch, and a minute later Thorpe saved from Ives. An abortive corner to Exeter was followed by the Northampton goalkeeper again being in busy action, saving from Crompton.

Rutter's Costly Miss.
With the game twenty minutes old and only one team in it so far (Exeter) Thorpe ought to have been beaten when he partially stopped a pile-driver from the City captain. The ball rebounded to Rutter, but with an open goal before him the Exeter centre forward hit the bottom of the goalpost with his shot, and the chance was lost. As events turned out this was a costly miss.

A Surprise Goal.
Northampton, after having to defend for most of the opening half, scored a surprise goal ten minutes before the interval. Freeman broke away down the middle of the field, and getting to within about fifteen yards of the goal sent in a rising shot, and to the consternation of the crowd Pym dropped the ball, which rolled slowly into the net.
Half-time:
COBBLERS 1-0 CITY

Second Half.

The Grecians were unfortunate to be in arrears, and the goal by Freeman was the first against them since October 12th, when Reading had scored twice. Since then Norwich, Bristol Rovers, Gillingham, and West Ham had all failed to get the ball into Exeter's net.
However, the City commenced the second half with plenty of hustle and bustle, but the eagerness of the forwards amounted to over-anxiety, resulting in a deal of wild and hurried passing which did not help their cause. An appeal for a penalty was refused, but a free-kick was given instead, and from this award Lockett passed to Ives, who sent over a capital centre which was headed into the net by Cooper.

Last season: Northampton 2 City 0.
In 1910-11: Northampton 4 City 1.