ECFC 2-0 Millwall  
Scorer: Kirk, Coleburne
Attendance: 11000

Played at St. James's Park, Exeter,
on Easter Monday, April 21st.

Attendance 11,000.

CITY: Pavey; Pollard, and Charlton; Coleburne, Crompton, and Potter; Shelton, Kirk, Lievesley, Murray, and Dockray.

MILLWALL:- Crawford; Fort, and Amos; Pembleton, Gomm, and Graham; Kingsley, Moule, Morris, Dillimore, and Pither.

Captains: - Coleburne and Amos. Referee:- Mr H.J.Weber, of London.

Result: City 2 Millwall 0. Scorers: Kirk and Coleburne.


The Bank Holiday match with Millwall at St James's Park was as sensationally splendid from the Exeter standpoint as the Boxing Day game with Plymouth Argyle was disappointing. Millwall were nothing like a championside side, and were quite eclipsed by the Grecians. The "championship" football came not from the Lions, but from the City, and the big holiday crowd was immensely pleased both with the genuine and unquestionable superiority of the Exeter eleven, also with the fine sportsmanship which characterised all their play.

The biggest surprise in connection with the match was not that it was won, but rather the inclusion of Pavey to the exclusion of Harry Bailey. The official explanation was that Pavey, who has kept goal so splendidly throughout the season for the Reserves, deserved a run in the First XI.

JOHN FORT'S MISDEMEANOUR.

The match opened with a jerk, for the Exeter City Military Band had hardly finished playing a verse of "Auld Lang Syne" in honour of John Fort's reappearance on the City ground when the ex-Grecian punched the ball as it flew goal-wards from Lievesley's foot, and Exeter were awarded a penalty. Matthews being absent, the duty of taking the spot kick devolved on Stanley Charlton, and the young full-back drove the light new ball against the outside of the post on Crawford's right. So Millwall escaped, and the crowd swallowed its regrets. Millwall, however, were palpably unsettled, and Gomm and his defensive colleagues lost their poise in the considerable stress and strain of staving off the City's speedy and persistent attacks.

Meanwhile the Grecians toiled away in the broiling sun like a team inspired. Crompton was in the thick of the fray all the time, and much of the play in the first half seemed to turn on his work. Lievesley led the forward line with a refreshing mixture of dash and skill, while the left-wing pair, Murray and Dockray, and Potter backing them up, had a demoralising influence on the Millwall backs and halves.

CROWD WILD WITH EXCITEMENT.

At the end of twenty-three minutes, and just after Morris had nearly beaten Pavey with one of his famous "snap-shots" a lovely through pass from Lievesley gave Kirk an opening. He recognised it instantly, and took full advantage. "Jazzo's" crashing shot from a narrow angle was dead on the target, and Crawford was beaten, all ends up. Four minutes later Coleburne dispossessed Dillimore, and ran the ball forward almost to the goal-line, and centred to the goalmouth. Crawford tried to turn the leather around the post but instead turned it into his own net, and the crowd went wild with excitement.

Exeter continued to have all the play, and Murray missed with a shot which whistled past the far post at express speed, and Kirk fired high over the bar from Dockray's pass. At the interval the City were leading by two goals to nil.

SECOND HALF.

Morris and Moule exchanged places in the second half, and for a time Millwall improved. Pavey cut out two centres from Pither, and cleared a weak header from Dillimore. Pollard was injured in the sixth minute, and took very little part in the game for the next twenty minutes or so. He hobbled to the outside right position, and Shelton and Coleburne each stepped back one place.

A mistake by Potter at the half-way line let Kingsley through, and the Millwall winger sent over a perfect centre which Morris and Moule jumped for together in the goalmouth, but Pavey jumped higher and quicker, and beat them both to the ball.

Feeling that the match was beyond any hopes of a recovery by Millwall, entertained the crowd on the popular bank with a pretty little exhibition of intricate close passing, with Potter always in the background lending support. Pembleton, however, failed to appreciate it, and attempted to foul Murray, but the little Scot skipped nimbly aside. Jack Fort was tantalised beyond endurance, and moved out of the way, taking up position as a sixth forward somewhere between outside and inside right.

Kirk missed with a low shot, which Crawford did not move to, and Amos was lucky to be in the way of a stronger one from Coleburne, and right on the long whistle Potter cleared from Morris on the Exeter goal-line.

TORQUAY UNITED V CITY RESERVES.

Southern League.

Exeter City Reserves, with a slightly altered eleven, including Rennie, a Plymouth Wednesday League player, at centre-forward, made some amends on Easter Monday morning at Plainmoor for their defeat at St James's Park last Saturday. The result of the second meeting was a drawn game, of one goal to each side.

United: Fryer; Rice, and Drew; Fretwell-Hall, Miller, and Brown; Burton, Rodgerson, Scott, Kellock, and Pearson.

City: Bailey; Crawshaw, and Smith; Hunter, McIntosh, and Gilchrist; Davis, Thornton, Rennie, Gallogley, and Lendon.

Referee:- Mr C.M.Pardoe, of Kidderminster.

The expediency of sending their best goalkeeper to Plainmoor to assist the Reserves nearly resulted in Exeter City breaking Torquay United's cherished ground record, for there were times during the match when it was practically a case of Bailey v Torquay.

After being principally on the defensive for over half an hour, the Grecians took the lead in quite a remarkable manner.

A simple looking attempt to capture the home goal was attempted by Lendon, and Fryer did not even raise an arm, being apparently under the impression that the ball would drop over the bar, but instead it landed in the net.

It was not until ten minutes from the end that the equaliser was obtained, and then, following a nice pass from Rodgerson, a drive by Scott struck the inside of the far post and went into the net. Exeter were reduced to ten men in the second half, Crawshaw having to retire with a broken nose.