Saturday, February 14th.  

Norwich City 3 Exeter City 1.

The ground at Norwich was in a heavy condition with some bare patches and a liberal sprinkling of sawdust and clinkers at each end, but the weather was fine.

The "Canaries" had Potter for Wolstenholme, their goalscoring centre, who was absent through illness. Exeter also made a change, recalling Brooksbank to lead the attack vice Whittaker, who was unfit. Winning the toss Exeter played down the slope, but all the early play came from Norwich, who after missing one gilt - edged chance scored the opening goal after two minutes' play. In fact, the City scored it for them, Lagan turning a shot from Wilson into his own net. Directly from the restart, however, Exeter carried play into the home territory, and McCann scored a beautiful goal, driving the ball into the bottom corner of the net with Lansdale making an ineffectual dive.

Thus a goal at each end had materialised in the first three minutes, and spectators coming in late had missed a sensational opening. Exeter forced the pace, but an alert defence frustrated many nice openings created by Brooksbank. Goodwin sent behind from Brooksbank's pass, and in the next move Exeter's centre-forward was cleverly robbed by Mackenzie. At the Exeter end Pym pulled down a shot from Woods, and in the next minute fielded a hot one from Potter. The City were enjoying a greater share of the play, but could not put the right finish to moves from which goals should have been scored. A sparkling piece of dribbling by Brooksbank was halted by Lansdale, who advanced quite a few yards from his charge, then, after Holt had missed a chance, close in, through scooping the ball over the bar, Woods suddenly beat Pym with a long shot which dropped into the Exeter net over the goalkeeper's arms.

Half-time: Norwich 2 Exeter City 1.

Playing with the slope in their favour the Canaries fairly welldominated the second half despite the sterling defence of Fort and Strettle, and it came as no surprise when Woods scored their third goal.

Norwich:- Lansdale; Houghton, Mackenzie; Sutcliffe, Martin, Bell; Macdonald, Ingham, Potter, Woods, Wilson. 

Exeter City:- Pym; Fort, Strettle; Rigby, Lagan, Smith; Holt, Lovett, Brooksbank, McCann, Goodwin.

Plymouth & District League

Exeter City Reserves met the R.M.L.I. today in a Plymouth and District League match at St. James's Park. The Soldiers recently defeated the Argyle Reserves by 1-0, and are doubtless a force to be reckoned with in the competition. Unfortunately for them today, however, they had to make several alterations, including the playing of Jack, their centre-forward, at centre-half, and Wells, outside-left, missed his train and the team arrived one short. The City also had some difficulties regarding team selection, and although Whittaker was considered unfit for first-team duty he was pressed into service to play centre-forward for the Reserves.

Reserves:- Loram; Harding, Hunt; Marshall, Pratt, Evans; Tucker, Cox, Whittaker, Lewis, Orr.

R.M.L.I.- Morgan; Kelly, Slocombe; Broad, Jack, Bradley; Cross, Marshall, Cleverley, Parkings; Wells (absent).

There was a thin drizzle of rain as the teams entered the field, and the crowd was very small. In the first two minutes the City worked their way down on the left, and Lewis put in a hard daisy-cutter. The goalkeeper partially saved, but allowed the leather to roll through his hands, over the line, and the referee quite correctly signalled a goal. Just before half-time Whittaker fired an unstoppable rising shot into the net, connecting with a centre from Lewis.

Half-time: Reserves 2 R.M.L.I. nil.

Whittaker livened up the second half with one of his typical goals. He got the leather in the middle of the field from a long forward pass, and beating the defence, drew Morgan out and drove the ball into the unguarded net at express speed. In the closing stages Whittaker scored again to complete his "hat-trick", and Evans netted from the penalty spot, the award having been given for hand-ball by one of the Marines' backs.

City Reserves 5, R.M.L.I. nil.

 The Reserves' forward line was materially strengthened by the inclusion of Whittaker, who was told to turn out almost at the last moment. He played with a handkerchief around his neck as a throat protection, and certainly he was barely fit enough to be playing. Before the match he was complaining of being generally "out of sorts" and confessed that he had never been really right since he was injured in the Swindon match. An hour later he had helped himself to a tonic in the shape of three goals.