FULHAM'S FINE RALLY After Exeter Had Scored Three Goals

Wednesday, January 14th 1931.

EXETER CITY 3 (Varco 2 Lister) FULHAM 2 (Watkins Miller own goal) Half-time: City 2 Fulham 0.

Exeter City: Jones; Gray and Miller;
Inglis, Angus, and Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Lister.
Fulham: Iceton; Gibbon and Bird; Oliver, Gibbons, and Barrett; Temple, Price, Watkins, Hammond, and Finch.

After the excitement and tense atmosphere of Saturday, there was comparative calm at St James's Park this afternoon, when the Grecians opposed Fulham in a re-arranged League match. The decision of the Football League that all out standing fixtures must be decided as soon as possible had undoubtedly had an adverse effect on the attendance, as there would have been a far larger crowd had this afternoon's match been played on a mid-week evening towards the end of the season. Many Exeter supporters had journeyed to Plainmoor for the replayed Cup - tie between Torquay United and Bury, this match being of special interest in view of the fact that the winners would engage Exeter City in the next round. Miller, who captained the City, won the toss, and placed Fulham at the far end. The afternoon was mild with only a slight breeze, and at the start the attendance barely numbered three thousand.

Fulham the Better Side.

A series of brilliant forward moves by Fulham must have succeeded but for the brilliant goalkeeping of Jones, who made a sensational save from Temple, and when in one hot Fulham attack the goalkeeper failed to clear a corner from Miller was on hand to head the ball clear. Fulham in the first half were by far the better side, their neat combination and understanding comparing very favourably with Exeter's ragged methods. Against the run of the play Lister opened the scoring for the Grecians after thirty minutes, and a second goal was scored by Varco two minutes later, with Fulham appealing for offside. The Grecians attacked on the restart and after ten minutes Varco scored the third goal, whereupon Fulham rallied strongly and scored twice in the closing eleven minutes through Watkins and a header into his own net by Miller.