Saturday December 12th.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE.

Reading v City at Elm Park
HISTORY FAILS TO REPEAT:

Reading 1 Exeter City O.

History failed to repeat itself at Elm Park, and consequently Exeter's brilliant sequence of successes scored at the expense of the Berkshire club came to an end. Past experience alone had led Reading to despair of ever beating Exeter, for from the time they entered the Southern League in 1908-09 until last season the Grecians had always drawn with or defeated Reading.

Last season Reading did succeed in winning at St.James' Park, but true to tradition Exeter came up smiling at Elm Park, and took away the points. Therefore today's victory, the first ever gained by Reading over Exeter at home, was very welcome.

READING

Crawford

Smith Thomson

Comrie Stevenson Willis

Pinfield Bailey Foster Chorley Lofthouse

Referee:- Mr R.Marshall, of Kettering

CITY

Dockray Lovett Goodwin(W) Hunter Holt
Evans Lagan Smith

Strettle Marshall

Pym

Inspired by their record, the City commenced in a fashion which boded ill for the home team, and in the first few minutes Crawford was called upon to deal with a difficult shot from Goodwin, which he only just saved on the line. Even exchanges followed, and the teams crossed over with the scoresheet blank.

The all-important goal came twenty minutes after the change of ends, and was the result of a very fine individual effort on the part of Foster. The Reading centre-forward received some forty yards out, and running on neatly evaded Marshall, and drove in a shot which Pym made a frantic but ineffectual attempt to reach. Reading did a lot of attacking after this, butfound the crafty tactics of Marshall and Strettle difficult to cope with, and the nearest approach to a further goal came five minutes from the end, when Pinfield hit the crossbar.

Exeter City, who played Hunter for Green and Evans for Rigby. proved difficult to beat because the whole team worked so well together. Individually they were not so clever as the Reading players, but in covering each other they were superior.

Little fault could be found with the visiting half-backs, of whom Lagan was outstanding. His duels with Foster provided some of the best football of the afternoon, and in the end honours were even.

Evans showed good anticipation, and Smith much vigour, so much in fact that the referee had to intervene occasionally.

Marshall and Strettle were both in excellent trim, and despite the greasy ball and uncertain light caused by the fog, survived the entire game without making a serious mistake.

Dockray's Encouraging Debut.

Exeter's forwards were a lively line of opportunists who did not have a lot of luck. Goodwin was always on the look-out for an opening, and came near to getting through several times.

Hunter was a veritable glutton for work, and had he possessed a trifle more pace would have been exceedingly dangerous. The efforts of Holt and Lovett were of a spasmodic nature, but an encouraging debut was made by Dockray, who gave Reading's Smith endless anxiety. Dockray, who was well supplied with the ball, executed a number of delightful runs along the touch-line, and had his shooting been as near perfection as his control of the ball on the move Crawford's citadel must have fallen.

Thomson Unbeatable.

Like Pym in the Exeter goal, Crawford was too well covered to have many opportunities of distinguishing himself. The honours of the game went to Thomson, who was in unbeatable form. Time and again he broke up Exeter attacks, and surprised everyone by the robustness of his play. Smith (Reading) gave him admirable support, and only in length of kicking fell behind his partner. The heading half backs were sound without reaching a very high standard, and Foster and Lofthouse were the pick of a moderate forward line. Pinfield, the amateur, returned to the team vice Stevens, but although improving as the game went, was hardly a success.

A heavy fog hung over the ground throughout the game, which finished in semi-darkness. The attendance was 3,000.