Saturday, November 6th 1948.

EXETER CITY 2
(Mackay, Dymond)

WATFORD 1
(Cumner)

Half-time City 1 Watford 1.
Attendance 7,739, receipts £535.

Today's game at St James's Park degenerated into a scramble and led to scenes almost without parallel on this ground. The trouble began in the first half, and reached its peak when the referee, Mr Wakeley of Somerton, ordered Johnston from the field early in the second. From the crowd's view Johnston's offence was not apparent. But the official version was that he attempted to strike an opponent, who, said the Exeter players afterwards, kicked him first. The crowd became incensed by the sending off of Johnston. From every part of the ground Mr Wakeley was booed, and a few apple cores were thrown at him. When the game was over police guarded the exits from the dressing rooms.

CITY: Hoyle; Warren, Clark; Fallon, Davey, Walker; Dymond, Evans, Johnston, Mackay, Regan.
WATFORD: G.Davies; Harris, Oliver; Eggleston, Ratcliffe, Paton; W.Davies, Osborne, Thomas, Drury, Cumner.

Exeter, who had let through 17 goals in their three preceding games, made the bold experiment of introducing two new full-backs, Warren, born at Colyton, and Clark, his Scottish partner. The two newcomers had an acid test but came through it with flying colours. After Cumner had scored for Watford Mackay headed a neat equalising goal and with Exeter now on top Dymond secured the lead shortly after the restart. It was at this point that Johnston was ordered off, yet what seemed to be fouls through reckless kicking escaped punishment.

• LOVELL'S ATHLETIC v
  EXETER CITY RESERVES.
  Because of a South Wales Amateur Cup complication, the match between the City Reserves and Lovells was postponed.