Saturday, November 24th 1934.

"OFFSIDE" GOAL EARNS CHARLTON CUP REPLAY

Protests at Allen's Late Equaliser Go Unheeded

A BLANKET OF FOG AT THE VALLEY

Charlton Athletic 2 Exeter City 2.

The Exeter City team, accompanied by Messrs F. Parkhouse, E.Head and Captain Hunter, directors, Mr S.H. Thomas, secretary, and Mr W.McDevitt, manager, spent a couple of happy hours last night at the Holborn Empire. The party was joined this morning by the chairman, Mr M.J.McGahey, and a few members of the reserve team who had travelled overnight.

LONDON'S FOG BLANKET.

A thick fog hung over London like a blanket this morning, and when the Exeter party set out for Charlton the visibility was very bad. There was no improvement in the conditions when the "Valley" was reached, and at two o'clock, half an hour before the time arranged for the kick-off, it was only just possible to see the goalposts and the far touchline. If the conditions did not worsen, however, it was certain that the game would take place and be played to a finish. Sirens, sounding from steamers and other craft in the nearby River Thames indicated that the fog was very thick on the great waterway.

TEAM CHANGES.

The City made changes in goal, full-back, and half-back. Davies was again displaced by Chesters, and Lewis, who travelled with the official party as twelfth man, was dropped in favour of Angus. Charlton were in a quandary regarding their goalkeeper, Wright having fractured a rib at Northampton last week. In a dilemma because they had no experienced deputy, the management of the Athletic hoped that Owen, a young goalkeeper who was secured from Llanelly, would fill the breach.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Owen
Smith Oakes
Jobling Turner Dodgin
Wilkinson Robinson Allen Stephenson Hobbis

Referee:- Mr A.J. Brown, of Bristol.

Hurst T.Scott Poulter Wrightson J.Scott
Angus Webb Clarke
Miller Gray
Chesters
EXETER CITY

Charlton Athletic were a very lucky side to earn the chance of a replay against Exeter City to-day, when the match in the fog at the Valley resulted in a draw of two goals each.

A goal behind nine minutes before the finish, Charlton secured the equaliser through Allen, who was standing in an obviously offside position. The goal was allowed, however, in spite of vigorous protests by the Exeter players. First-time tactics paid Exeter well. They did not give the home side a chance to settle down until the closing stages, and the Charlton forwards, relying on short-passing attacks, were not quick enough, and were baulked again and again by the brilliant City defenders. A feature of the game was the greatly improved display of the Exeter half-backs. All three tackled strongly and positioned themselves cleverly. The City scored twelve minutes from the start and again eight minutes after the interval and were easily the better side up to that point. But Charlton did not lose heart, and in fact played their best football when they were two goals down. Exeter's first goal came when the Charlton defence was at full stretch, attacks being developed all along the line, the ball being headed from man to man. With Oakes slow to tackle, Jack Scott nodded the ball forward to Poulter, who headed it on for Hurst to leave Owen helpless with a lightning low drive into the corner of the goal. The second goal, also by Hurst, was an individual effort on his part. The ball seemed to be speeding over the goal-line out of reach, but Hurst got to it in time and hooked it left footed past Owen and into the bottom of the net.

CHARLTON HIT BACK.

As threequarter time approached Charlton became livelier and two corner kicks were won in quick succession. Chesters made several saves, some from point-blank range, but was beaten eventually by Wilkinson, who ran into the penalty area and fired the ball high into the City net from about ten yards. Even Chesters could not stop that one. The equalising goal should never have counted, for Allen was standing almost underneath the Exeter orossbar when he scooped into the net a centre from Wilkinson, and was obviously offside. All the City players protested emphatically, but to no avail.
The attendance was about 10,000. The replay will take place next Wednesday at St James's Park and no seats will be reserved.