Boxing Day, Saturday,
December 26th 1908.

FRIENDLY MATCH:
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE v EXETER CITY.

Exeter City paid their first visit to Home Park, Plymouth, where they engaged the Argyle in a friendly. The Football Association could not comply with the wishes of the Plymouth Argyle directors to make a presentation of gold medals to the winners. The Argyle included in their ranks E.Jenkins at right-back, lately transferred from Bristol Rovers, and P.C.Evans, the Ellacombe amateur,
was at centre forward. Exeter played Fenwick at left back in place of Crelley, and Wake, a former Argyle player, at right half.

Teams:

THE ARGYLE:
Sutcliffe
Jenkins Atterbury
Clark Wilcox McIntyre
Leavey Hindmarsh Evans Raymond Holden

Referee: Quartermaster-sgt. Hanna.

Copestake Bell McGuigan Watson Parnell
Johnson Chadwick Wake
Fenwick Craig
Robinson
THE CITY

The Argyle kicked off before 10,000 spectators. Raymond made ground. from a pass by Evans, but Craig came across and robbed him, and punted the ball down the field to his colleagues, who forced a corner. Jenkins was conspicuous for a good clearance, but the City forwards recaptured the ball and Mc Guigan sent it out to Copestake, who raced Jenkins for possession and passed to Bell, who scored a nice goal. At the other end McIntyre sent out a long pass to Holden, who made ground at full speed and tipped the ball to Raymond. The latter passed inside to Evans, who shot wide. Wilcox dribbled through and found Leavey, who beat Wake and forced a corner which was headed away by Chadwick. Both goalkeepers were soon active, Sutcliffe saving from Chadwick, and Robinson from Wilcox. The Argyle strove hard for the equaliser, but Exeter's defence was sound, and at the interval the score remained, 
Exeter City 1, Plymouth Argyle nil.

Soon after the restart McIntyre tested Robinson, but the shot was saved. Parnell and Watson took the ball into the Plymouth quarters but the City captain shot wide. The Grecians were again placed on the defensive, and Clark shot wide from a good scoring chance. There was no relaxation on either side, and in another Exeter raid Sutcliffe I saved at close range from McGuigan.

The ball travelled from end to end at a great pace, and scoring often seemed imminent. McGuigan was nearly through but was checked by Jenkins, and Atterbury assisted in the clearance. In a flash the Argyle raced away to Robinson's end, but Evans failed badly in an attempt to equalise. Twice Fenwick saved the situation for Exeter, when all seemed lost, but it must be said that the shooting of the home forwards was very weak, as usual.

Towards the end of the game Plymouth forced several corners, but nothing resulted from these, mainly because of weak shooting, and almost on time a splendid movement by the City forwards saw Parnell put in a fine shot, which Sutcliffe fisted out to Chadwick, who shot wide.

Final score:
Exeter City 1 , Plymouth Argyle nil.

Exeter deserved to win, being more dangerous in front of goal. Fenwick, given a rare opportunity with the "chiefs", did well, and Parnell and Bell were the pick of the forwards.

CITY RESERVES V ARGYLE RESERVES.

Despite the number of supporters who had taken advantage of the excursions to Plymouth, there was an excellent attendance for the Reserves match, the crowd at the start numbering 4,000.

CITY: Fletcher; Parsons, W.Wells; Letheren, Tierney, Oliver; Sillick, Pridham, Drain, Badcock, and White.

ARGYLE: Horne; Elliott, Black; Davidson, Simmons, Tozer; Cook, Peard, Worden, Hakin, and Haynes.

Fletcher captained the Grecians, and won the toss. The Argyle, who had beaten Exeter 4-1 at Home Park on Christmas Day, pressed at the outset, but Parsons and Tierney were soon in the picture, and Drain was enabled to burst through. His pass to Badcock was transferred to Sillick, but the ball was charged down and came out again to Drain, who shot wide.

The next City attack earned them a corner, but bad marking by the Exeter half backs enabled the visitors to make progress, and after beating the defence on the left Hakin drove the ball into the net for the first goal. It was well worked for, but it would never have come about but for bad covering of men at the other end.

Badcock and White led a spirited attack, and the latter forced a playing much better, but there were some weak spots in defence, and corner, from which Tierney headed over the bar. Exeter were by now the Argyle were not slow to take advantage of this. On one occasion Fletcher rushed out and got in the way of Peard when the latter had an open goal, with the result that the ball went behind for a corner. This was partially cleared, but Fletcher was quickly wanted again, and he saved what promised to be a certain addition to the score.

Sillick's pass to Drain enabled the Scot to burst through and shoot vide, and then at last, after sillick had been temporarily laid out, Drain met a forward pass from Tierney and gave Horne no chance at all with a beautifully judged shot. This equaliser came after a spell of five minutes' heavy pressure by the City, and was greeted with loud cheering.

The fortunes fluctuated until Parsons was outwitted by Haynes, and although Tierney checked the first attack he was unable to stop the move entirely, and Worden fastened on to the ball and scored the Argyle's second goal with a half volley. A minute later Pridham wasted a good opportunity when he skied the ball over the bar with an open goal before him.

Half-time: Argyle Reserves 2 City Reserves 1.

An exciting second half ran mainly in favour of Exeter, but though they carried out numerous assaults on the Plymouth goal no further scoring took place.

Result: Argyle 2 City 1.