Match 39
Exeter v Crystal Palace
10.04.1920

Friendly
Reserves v The Wednesday League

SATURDAY, APRIL 10.

At St James's Park, Exeter.

EXETER CITY 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 1.

The spectators streamed in fast from three o'clock onwards, but when Dick Pym led the Grecians out at 3.25 there were barely six thousand present. The Palace, in their cardinal and blue, met with a cordial reception, and Feebury, who won the toss, elected to play towards the St James's Road end in the first half.

EXETER CITY:- Pym; Coleburne and Strettle; Crawshaw, Popplewell, and Mitton; Oldacre, Makin, Goodwin, Gill, and Dockray.

CRYSTAL PALACE:- Alderson; Little and Rhodes; Cracknell, Bates, and Feebury; Bateman, Conner, E.A.Smith, Menlove, and Whibley.

REFEREE: Mr C.E.Green.

The Palace worked down scientifically on their left, and Pym dealt smartly with a centre from Whibley. Exeter transferred the scene of activities, and Dockray tested Alderson with a lofty drive from the touch-line. Goodwin and Makin next tried to force their way through, but found too many men in the way. A pretty move on the Exeter right, initiated by Popplewell, ended badly, Oldacre shooting wildly over the bar. Then Mitton went up rather too far in support of Goodwin, and covered the City's left flank. Bateman saw his chance, and beat Strettle with a neat pass to Conner, who responded with a long thrust down the field. It was a critical position that Exeter had got themselves into, but in the nick of time Coleburne dashed across with huge strides and booted the ball into touch.

The Skill of Dockray.

Play had been in progress for ten minutes when the opening goal came, and it was Exeter's. After exciting midfield play in which Dockray had run Cracknell and Little "off their feet" more than once, the skilful City winger made the best possible use of a nice pass,centreing across the goalmouth to Oldacre, who tapped the leather to Makin, who slammed it into the net. This success was received with thunderous cheering.

Pym Saves a Penalty.

Exeter continued to play clever football in all departments, and the Palace defence was very hard-worked for a period. Then a breakaway by the "Glaziers" saw the ball swung across to

Bateman, who was unmarked. The winger shot promptly, and Pym had a very awkward ball to meet, just under the crossbar. He did his work in his familiar accomplished style, and both goalkeeper and winger were applauded. The game had been in profess for half an hour when Mitton halted Menlove a little too vigorously in the penalty area, and the referee awarded a spot kick. Smith, the ace marksman of the Palace, took the shot and drove the ball with all his force low down and a couple of yards to the goalkeeper's left. Pym anticipated the direction of the ball's flight, and with great agility got in the way of it and cleared amid a welter of cheering. The very next minute Smith broke through in determined fashion, and this time Pym dived out and took the ball right off the centre-forward's toe. A minute before half-time Goodwin sent Dockray away on the extreme left, and the winger, after evading Liddle, sent across a perfectly timed centre to Goodwin, who met it as neatly with his head, and the ball flew into the net, well out of Alderson's reach.

Half-time: City 2, Palace nil.

In the second half clever midfield play by Conner led to the Palace reducing Exeter's lead. He drew the defence out, passed out to Whibley and ran ahead to receive the return. He then put the ball inwards to Smith, who scored. 


EXETER CITY RESERVES V WEDNESDAY LEAGUE
Brisk Scoring at St. James's Park


Wednesday, April 14.

CITY RESERVES 4 WEDNESDAY LEAGUE 7.

Although the weather was unfavourable there was quite a large attendance at St James's Park this afternoon, to see the match which had been arranged between Exeter City Reserves and a team selected from clubs of the Exeter Wednesday League. The players were :

CITY RESERVES
Roach
Twooze Chown
Curtis Bray Perry

Salt Sanders Izzard Fenwick Please


WEDNESDAY LEAGUE XI
Stevens, Devon Regiment
Parker, Devon Regiment
Edwards, Okehampton
May, Exmouth United
Picton, Royal Garrison Artillery
Cleverly, Devon Regiment
Hazell, Devon Regiment
Mermagen, Royal Garrison Artry
Barnard, Devon Regiment
Kelland, Exmouth United
McDermott, Devon Regiment

The League started well, and Roach was called upon early in the game to save from Kelland, but within a few minutes the Reserves got into their stride, and lively end to end play followed.

After five minutes, during which the League goal escaped very luckily, Fenwick initiated a clever passing movement, and Salt opened the scoring with a neat shot just inside the upright. The League then infused more dash into their play, and Lt.Mermagen beat Roach with a fierce drive from ten yards. Further goals for the League were added before the interval by Kelland and Barnard.

The Wednesday League thus led by 3-1 at half-time.

The second half produced a riot of goalscoring, with Kelland, Mermagen (two) and Barnard registering points for the League, and Chown and Izzard for the City Reserves. On the stroke of full time Fenwick followed up with the fourth goal for the Reserves.

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