Saturday, January 30th 1909.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE:
EXETER CITY V READING.

Exeter City met Reading at St. James's Park, in mild and sunny weather, before a crowd of five thousand, and won with ease. They were the superior side by quite the winning margin, five to one, and at one stage of the second half in particular, had the Reading defence hopelessly beaten. The exchanges, despite the big score, were always fast and open, and one-sided though the second half was, there were any number of exciting incidents. Right away from the kick off Exeter forced a corner through the failure of Newbigging to hold the ball, and Bell subsequently headed into the net, but from an offside position. Two minutes after the start Copestake scored with a fine volley almost from the touch line.
In the first Reading attack a penalty was given against Johnson. The kick was entrusted to Burch, but Robinson caught the ball. The of the shot, however, was so great that he could not hold it, and from the resultant scramble Huggins headed in, but like Bell in the earlier instance, was adjudged to be offside. But from this point nothing seemed to go right for the visitors, and the City's superiority became more and more apparent. The forward. line, with Watson the cleverest of the five, mounted many attacks, and Bell at last converted a centre by Parnell. Just afterwards, at the other end, Williams ballooned the ball over the crossbar from an easy position with only Robinson between him and the net.

At half time Exeter led by two goals to nil.

For the first fifteen minutes of the second half Reading played up. well, and prevented Exeter from increasing their lead, Wheatcroft on one occasion grazing the crossbar with a fine drive. But Exeter were not to be denied, and the third goal was not long in coming. It was scored by Bell, who directed a header into the net following one of several corners gained by the City. Watson then followed with the fourth, finding the net with an express drive from fully 25 yards, then about ten minutes from the end McGuigan put in the fifth goal.

Close on time Huggins converted a centre by Burch for Reading, after Robinson had partially cleared.

Result: 5 - 1.

Exeter City:
Robinson; Craig, and Bulcock; Ambler, Johnson, and Wake; Parnell, Watson, McGuigan, Bell, and Copestake.

Reading: Newbigging; Boden, and Wilks; Bartholomew, Hancock, and Mainds; Burch, Grimster, Wheatcroft, Willis, and Huggins.