Saturday, February 1st.

Friendly Match At St James's Park.

Bristol City The Visitors.

Exeter City (Brooksbank, Whittaker) 2

Bristol City (Harris) 1

Half-time score: Bristol 1 Exeter 0. Attendance: 2,180.

Exeter Pym; Nevin, Hurst; Rigby, Lagan, Lockett; Whittaker, Rutter, Brooksbank, Ives. Cooper,

Bristol: Ware; Kearns, Jones; Marr, Wedlock, Nicholson; Broad, Brough, Owers, Bowyer, Harris.

The "friendly" against Bristol City was as good a match of its description as could be wished for, but without the competitive element it left something to be desired. If it had been a fine  afternoon there would have been a big crowd present to welcome Bristol City, and moreover, Wedlock would have appeared, for it was solely the weather and ground conditions which led to the Bristol management keeping him out of the match. They cannot be blamed for this, for Wedlock means so much to the club that to risk him breaking down in a friendly would be policy which the followers of the Reds would be quick to resent. The 48 taken at the gate represented a crowd of just over two thousand, which is not bad considering the rain which fell all the morning and most of the afternoon.

The Bristol Players.

Bristol City did not like being mastered by Exeter. That was plain in the last quarter of an hour, when both Nicholson and Marr Came in for a little admonishment from the referee. Marr is an experienced player, and he should have known that it would have been better for him to have kept a cool head, even if Ives was beating him more often than was pleasant. One player in the Bristol team who did come through the match with distinction was Kearns, the right-back, for he also had to face Ives, yet he took everything that came his way in a good spirit, was scrupulously fair in his methods, and put up a very fine defence. Eddie Jones, the old City back, suffered somewhat if compared with his partner, and the crowd objected to his robust methods. But there was little to complain about in his play, and it can be remembered that the popular side used to cheer themselves hoarse over just the same sort of tackling from Jones, when he was wearing the Grecians' jersey.

The Grecians.

Whittaker was right at the top of his form, and the more he was hustled by Jones the better he played. Whittaker was possibly the best of the line today, but all the forwards did well, and the manner in which Rutter opened up the game was a delight to see. Rigby is another young player who has come on by leaps and bounds since gaining a regular place in the team. He is not a showy or demonstrative type of player, but he has developed an astute positional sense, and is as brainy a middle line man as any that Exeter have ever had. By getting himself into the right positions he is able to cope with attacking thrusts with the minimum expense of effort. Lockett, who is the City captain in Crompton's absence, and Lagan, another capable young player and an untiring worker, completed an excellent half-back line. As regards the defence there was not a weakness anywhere, and very few mistakes were made. The Bristol City forwards, in fact, were effectively held throughout, and the speed of Harris and Broad availed them nothing. Owers, who was a reserve for the International team two years ago, was never allowed much scope, and on today's form Rutter looked a far better centre-forward than the Bristol man.

PLYMOUTH AND DISTRICT LEAGUE.

Royal Scots Regiment v City Reserves.

The City Reserves beat the Royal Scots at Crownhill by four goals to three, and this puts them once more at the top of the table. They played throughout with only ten men, for Frayn notified the club yesterday that he would be unable to appear. Arrangements were made to get another player, but at the last minute he failed to turn up, and the City were left with four forwards. Under the circumstances they must be given credit for having scored a very fine victory, though in the second half they owed something to "luck" and the fine 'keeping of Chapman.

Exeter City:- Chapman; Hunt and Morris; Clarke, Bassett, and Mullineux; Arscott, Lewis, Golightly, and Garside.