Saturday,
April 4th 1931.
FULHAM 4
EXETER CITY 2.

Having acquitted themselves so well at Gillingham yesterday, the City were expected to provide a stubborn opposition to Fulham at Craven Cottage, this afternoon. Shanks deputised for Miller, who was injured at Gillingham, and the Grecians were captained by Ditchburn. In contrast to yesterday's rain, the weather today was perfect for football, and the ground was soft enough to make good ball control probable.

Fulham:- Iceton; Gibbon, Bird; Oliver, Gibbons, Barrett; Temple, Murphy, Haley, Hammond, and Finch.
City:- Davies; Baugh, Shanks; Inglis, Ditchburn, Barber; Armfield, Purcell, Varco, Houghton, and Doncaster.
Referee:- Mr F.W.Reeve, of Devonport.

Fulham gained no advantage from winning the toss, but the 14,000 spectators saw play open sensationally. Two minutes from the start Oliver made a long pass forward, and Haley, who looked to be several yards offside, was allowed to go on and score a goal for Fulham. A promising Exeter move was halted when Houghton was tripped by Murphy, but no free kick was given. Davies saved from Haley and a shot by Hammond went over the bar. The referee awarded Fulham a penalty after 28 minutes, Shanks having been adjudged to have handled the ball, and Barrett scored from the "spot." Purcell scored for the City after 35 minutes following a well placed free kick by Inglis. The second half began in much the same way as the first, Haley scoring for Fulham. Davies earned the cheers of the crowd by making brilliant saves from Haley and Hammond. Incidents followed one another very quickly in the closing minutes. When the ball was handled by a Fulham player well inside the penalty area the referee gave Exeter a free kick outside the line. The kick was cleared, but Iceton rushed out and collided with Varco, and the ball rolled to Barber, who put it in the net for Exeter's second goal. Iceton was injured in the collision and had to leave the field, and Hammond went in goal. When Iceton resumed Fulham broke away on the left, and from a nice pass by Hammond the ball went to Murphy, who dribbled through to score the fourth goal for Fulham. The decision to give Exeter a free kick instead

Comments.
Nothing went right for the City today. They were also the victims of one or two strange decisions by the referee, Haley, to begin with, being at least five yards offside when he scored the opening goal, and the spectators were astonished when the penalty was given against Shanks, for handling, as the offence was purely accidental. of a penalty was really amazing, because if an offence had been committed it was obvious to anyone that it had happened inside the area.