Exeter City's first practice match of the new season took place at St. James's Park on Saturday, August 22nd., and all the new men with the exception of Brown took part. The receipts from the game, amounting to £25. 5s.9d. are to be handed over to the Prince of Wales's Patriotic Fund. Pipers of the Highland Light Infantry were on the ground, and played musical selections before the start and during the interval. The teams were:

Stripes:- Pym; Harding, Strettle; Marshall, Pratt, Evans; Cox, Lewis, Goodwin W., Cowie, and Dockray.

Colours:- Loram; Doris, Fitzsimmons; Rigby, Lagan, Smith; Holt, Green, Hunter, Lovett, and Goodwin F.

Hunter and Green were at once through, and Evans, in finessing against Holt, conceded a corner, from which Green headed over the bar. The Stripes then made headway, and a shot from Cox resulted in a corner. Dockray put the ball across the front of the goal after beating Rigby, and W.Goodwin just missed. The Stripes were sent going by Evans, and Dockray'spass to W.Goodwin saw the Blackburn man put the leather right across an unguarded goal.

A second corner to the Stripes was, like the first, fruitless, but subsequently Dockray slipped his field, and cutting in, fired in a rising shot which looked to be scoring all the way. Loran was prepared, however, and met the ball with a double-fisted punch.

Forcing Work by the Forwards.

Pratt next sent in a pile-driver which Loran fisted over for a corner. Play so far had been workmanlike and energetic. The first goal of the match was credited to W.Goodwin after fifteen minutes' play. He received a transfer from Lewis, and veering across, had Loram guessing with a very deceptive though simple looking shot into the bottom corner of the net. This goal followed some forcing work by the forwards of the other side, Hunter once working a fine opening for Green only for the ex-Rotherham man to side-slip the ball a foot wide. From another raid instigated by Hunter, Harding headed out a shot which looked certain to score.

At the other end Loram made a good save from W.Goodwin, but he was helplessly beaten by the ex-Blackburn professional in the next few seconds. Goodwin was put in possession by Evans, and dribbling forward hit the back of the net with a hurricane right-footer. The highland Light Infantry backs, Doris and Fitzsimmons, were badly out of position when this point was notched.

Strettle got his side out of some tight corners, but so far the Stripes' forwards had been much the cleverer, and W.Goodwinnever dallied with chances that came his way.

The Colours made a brief attack just before the interval, the move being started by Green. Holt centred to Lovett, who headed the ball to the feet of Hunter, from whose shot a corner was won. The kick was fielded by Pym, who had not really had much to do in this half. Interval score: Stripes 2 goals, Colours nil.

In the second half Goodwin scored another fine goal for the Stripes, and thus performed the "hat trick."

Cowie scored a fourth goal and Lewis a fifth.

Final:

STRIPES​5 goals,

COLOURS​Nil

Final Practice.

A further practice was arranged for Wednesday evening, but was cancelled because of the extreme heat. Exeter City's final trial took place at St. James's Park on Saturday August 29th, proceeds again being in aid of the Patriotic Fund.

Three Alphington amateurs were tried, two at back and one in the forward line, whilst at outside right in the Colours side was a Scotch player named Griffiths, who signed for Plymouth Argyle two years ago and is still on their list.

In this game the Colours beat the Stripes by three goals to two.