Exeter 2-2 Reading 
Southern League 
3/9/1919

BIG ATTRACTION AT ST. JAMES'S PARK

Another Drawn Game

EXETER CITY 2 READING 2,
played on Wednesday, September 3.

A weekday afternoon is not the ideal time for a club to play its first important home match after a lapse of four and a half years; it precludes so many people from being present who would dearly like to be there to give the boys a rousing send-off. But all football enthusiasts who could spare the time made a point of attending St James's Park this afternoon. Both teams had played one match in the competition, Reading securing two points from a 2-nil victory over Cardiff City at Elm Park, while the City were at the Dell effecting a draw against Southampton.

The team selected to represent Reading today included four of the men who participated in the last match between the two clubs, on April 17, 1915, at Exeter, namely Smith, captain of Reading, Goodman, Chorley, and Lofthouse. Of the Exeter team which did duty on that occasion five were chosen to play today, namely Pym, Strettle, Rigby, Lovett, and Dockray. Goodwin was on the injured list at the time of the match referred to, he having sustained a broken left arm at Croydon a week previously.

Reading announced one late change, Stewart, a former Croydon Common player, being played at inside right instead of Chorley.

CITY 
Pym 
Coleburne Strettle
Rigby Popplewell Mitton
Connor Makin Goodwin Lovett Dockray 

Referee:- Mr T.F.Dunstan.

Lofthouse Andrews Hastie Stewart Murray
Harbidge Mavin Goodman
Bartholomew Smith
Archibald
READING

Rigby led the Grecians out at 3.25 o'clock, when there were slightly over three thousand spectators present. Light rain had been falling all the morning, a and it continued steadily, but it was not of sufficient consequence to disturb the equanimity of the spectators. Reading looked very smart as they came out in their dark blue and white striped jerseys, and like the City team they were given a cordial reception. Rigby lost the toss, and the City kicked off towards the Exeter end. The Grecians had the better of the opening exchanges, and the spectators quickly warmed up to a high pitch of enthusiasm. Lovett was conspicuous for clever play in midfield, and twice in quick succession Goodwin got through but was crowded off the ball each time. The Exeter halves controlled the slippery ball much better than did the opposing players, and some very pretty combination was seen. Makin beat Bartholomew on the right, near the corner flag, and sent across a nice centre, but Lovett and Goodwin both failed to get their boots to the ball, and Dockray could only tip it gently outside the upright.

Hastie Scores for Reading.

Good work by the City forwards gave Goodwin a chance, but he failed to steady himself and shot weakly and wide. Later a fine effort by Connor and Makin between them went begging right in front of the Reading goal, no-one in the centre being in position to apply the finishing touch. Reading then became aggressive, but Lofthouse was shepherded off the ball and Coleburne cleared.

At length Connor made an opening which Goodwin just missed, and then Hastie went off on his own through the middle. Coolly beating Strettle he finished off the move he had himself begun by driving the ball low and hard past Pym for the opening goal. At the other end the City experienced hard luck. Connor centred, but Goodwin could not get his head squarely to the flying ball and it came on to Dockray, whose shot struck Archibald, and the leather rebounded into play and was cleared.

Half-time: Exeter City 0, Reading 1.

Archibald had earned the plaudits of the crowd in the concluding minute of the first half by making two quite sensational saves, from Mitton and Goodwin. Upon the restart Exeter made headway, but were again repulsed by Archibald, who got in the way of fierce shots by Mitton and Makin, then Goodwin fired outside. Seven minutes after play had been resumed Harbidge conceded a corner, and from the tussle in the penalty area the leather came out to Makin, who drove smartly into the corner of the net. But straight from the kick off the Reading forwards advanced, and Hastie got his second goal with a beautiful shot from outside the penalty area. The Exeter it team attacked for some time, and Goodwin at length found the net from Makin's pass, thus equalising the scores.