Exeter Leave It Late. Fine Reading Defence at St. James's Park

• SATURDAY FEBRUARY 15TH:
• CITY v READING
• EXETER CITY (Crompton) 1 READING 0

Referee: Mr F.Curtis, of Bristol.
Attendance: 4,000.
Half-time score:- 0 - 0.

Exeter City Pym Fort Hurst Rigby Lagan Lockett Whittaker Cooper Rutter Crompton Ives

Reading Bernard, Smith Stevens Comrie Hanney Morris Bradley Bailey Burton Pinfield Foster

The Reading match was one of the hardest ever played at Exeter, and if the Berkshire club's management had correctly anticipated such a gruelling struggle, they would no doubt have hesitated about letting Foster play. Their centre-forward had by no means properly recovered from the ankle injury he sustained in the Cup tie against Stoke, and at St. James's Park the first accidental kick he received on the same spot immediately caused him to have to retire. Though Foster broke down in this way, the other one of Reading's "invalids", Jack Smith, the captain, played the game of his life. It is true that the ball often came his way, thus rendering his clearances the easier, but on many occasions he anticipated passes like a good general, and he marked the left wing as Crompton and Ives have never before been marked this season. The persistency of the Grecians in plying this wing, meant an abnormal amount of work for the Reading skipper, but the more that came his way the better he liked it, and very rarely indeed did the City attack get the better of him.

Exeter's Late Goal.
The goal which brought with it victory was a very fine one, but it was a long time coming. The City vanguard for quite half an hour of the second half had been throwing themselves at the visiting defence only to be pushed back again and again, and it began to look doubtful if they ever would pierce it, especially as they seldom varied their mode of venture. It was always the left wing which was asked to cut out the openings. The ball was, in fact, pushed out to Ives and Crompton with monotony, and the Reading defence converged their strength upon repelling this pair. Whittaker was left out on the other wing with hardly a pass, and Stevens, tired of keeping an eye on a man who never received the ball, gradually got nearer and nearer to the left, where all the football was being played. With twelve minutes to go a change of tactics, or at least of direction, came about. Rigby passed forward to Whittaker, and the winger volleyed the ball across to the left. Ives, following a throw-in, slipped the ball to Crompton, who took a pace or two forward, looked up to make quite sure where the goal was, and forthwith crashed the leather into the net, well wide of the goalkeeper. Exeter thus won as stated, by a goal to nil.

Last season: City 2 Reading 0.
In 1910-11: No match (Reading in the 2nd Division).

Comments.

The game was a very good one, everything considered, but more strenuous than skilful, and one which tested the physical fitness of the players to the utmost. Reading's defence, with Smith the outstanding member, played a fine game, and held out until the closing stages, and Crompton's goal. There was one aspect of Exeter City's game which laid itself open to criticism, and that was their keeping the ball in the air too much. More often than not it was being put through awkwardly to the forwards, and frequently by the ballooning of the ball the team were beating themselves. The cause of this type of play, of course, may have been that the pitch was dry, and the ball was consequently lighter than it has been for months. For a long time now, teams have been playing on heavy grounds, with the ball wet and heavy, and requiring a lot of driving. Today the conditions were just the opposite.


MILLBROOK RANGERS v CITY RESERVES.
Plymouth and District League.

The Reserves brought off a very meritorious win at Millbrook, and the early goal scored by Bassett had an important bearing on the eventual result. The Rangers' ground is a peculiar one, narrow, with a decided slope, so that visiting teams are always at a disadvantage. Exeter Reserves, however, won thoroughly on their merits, and but for the fine character of the goalkeeping of Moore, the old Devon County custodian, their victory would have been of a much more convincing nature.
Result: City 3 Millbrook 1.

The Reserves fielded the following team:- Chapman; Morris and Nevin; Lewis, Bassett, and Mullineux; Arscott, Addicott, Brooksbank, Golightly, and Frayn.

The position at the top of the Plymouth League are as follows 

1. City Reserves 
2. Argyle Reserves 
3. Sherwood Foresters