FINEST GAME AT THE "PARK" FOR MANY YEARS

Saturday, February 7th 1931.

EXETER CITY 4 (Varco 2 Houghton Doncaster) .
CRYSTAL PALACE 3 (Simpson 2 Clarke)
Half-time: City 2 Palace 1.

Stanley Charlton travelled down with the Palace team today but an injury prevented him from playing. Barrie took his place at left back. Exeter City in this match played finer football than has been seen from any team the club had fielded. The Palace were worthy opponents, a strong side fore and aft. Yet for the greater part of the game Exeter out-played their rivals, and did it comfortably by sheer artistry and speed. There were "wizards" in all departments of the City team, with Houghton and Doncaster out-shining the others, but with the whole eleven working as one to give a masterly and masterful exposition of the real craft of the game. Crystal Palace were be-dazzled at times. Try as they would, they found that it was just impossible to hold the Grecians in check. This was the finest Exeter City eleven seen in action at the Park for years and years, and if this form can be reproduced in the Cup-tie then Leeds are in for as hard a game as they could wish for next Saturday. Simpson, the Palace leader, richly deserves a word of appreciation. He did everything that one man could do for his side.

Exeter City:- Davies; Baugh and Miller; Clarke, Angus, and Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Crystal Palace:- Imrie; Crilly and Barrie; Rivers, Wilde, and Greener;
Harry, Lane, Simpson, Butler, and Clarke.
Referee:- Mr C.N.Wood, of Birmingham.

The weather today was beautifully fine, but all the rain of the week had left the ground in a morass. Crilly won the toss and Varco kicked off from the top end.
Varco opened the scoring in seven minutes and Simpson equalised in another three. Six minutes later Armfield beat Barrie and made a swift ground pass across the penalty area. Houghton ran in to meet the ball and crashed it high into the Palace net to the accompaniment of a hurricane of cheering. In the sixth minute of the second half Varco scored after Purcell had shot against the crossbar, then G.Clarke got a goal for the Palace. A quarter of an hour from the finish Doncaster with a wonderful solo dribble beat one man after another and scored a superb goal. Simpson completed the scoring.