Saturday, December 13th 1947.
Southern League, at The Eyrie.
BEDFORD TOWN 0
EXETER CITY RES. 3 (Sutherland, Mackay, Fallon)
Half-time Bedford 0 Exeter 2.
Attendance 4,000.

Bedford:- Greygoose; Henson, Pell; Reid, Boyle, Townsend; Bex, Scarlett, Williams, Murray, Crowe.

City Reserves:- Hoyle; Coles, Rowe;
Walker, Davey, Evans; Dymond, Mackay, Sutherland, Granville, W. Fallon.

Although Bedford were two goals down at half time they did not deserve this reverse. Yet in the second half Exeter monopolised the play but only scored once. Poor shooting by Sutherland and Fallon was responsible to a fair extent, but Greygoose and Boyle played well, though Bedford Town's defence as a whole was unsafe. Pell had a trying time with Dymond, who was Exeter's best forward, and Fallon was too fast for Henson. Exeter opened with some speedy pattern-weaving which failed first because Dymond could not centre the ball and afterwards because the ball was put wide by Sutherland with the goal at his mercy. But the City's first goal was obtained by Sutherland, who side-stepped the goalkeeper and tapped the ball into an empty net. Mackay shot the second goal after a fast forward move initiated by Granville, and Fallon got the third after the interval.

• CITY CHIEFS WITHOUT A MATCH.

There was no match for the City "chiefs" today, and for this blunder the Football League primarily and the attitude of the Port Vale club secondly, are to blame. Port Vale and Exeter should have met last Saturday but the fixture could not take place because of the City's F.A.Cup replay. Neither Exeter or the Vale had a League game scheduled for this week, but Port Vale arranged a friendly with Lincoln City. When Exeter lodged a protest they were told by the League that the friendly match at Lincoln would have to be played.