Wednesday, December 8th 1909.
CITY v. STOKE
Important Cup Game
at St. Thomas's

The replayed English Cup match between Exeter City and Stoke was played in perfect weather at the County Ground, St. Thomas's, the headquarters of the Exeter Rugby Football Club. Exeter City were thus severely handicapped. In the first place, owing to alterations to the Grandstand in progress at St. James's Park, it was impossible for the club to avail themselves of the advantage of playing on their own ground, and in consequence they had to go to the County Ground, which being so totally different to the St. Sidwell's pitch, was, to all intents and purposes, a neutral enclosure. Apart from this, Crossthwaite received a kick on his thigh on Saturday, and all hopes were abandoned of his being able to turn out. Sturge, the Exmothian, was called upon to keep goal, this being his first appearance for the premier team. Crelley was also undergoing treatment for injuries, and Craig took his place. The only alteration in the Stoke team was Turner for Mullineux.
CITY:
Sturge; Craig, and Jones; Atkinson, Chadwick, and Hartley; Green, Watson, Harrison, Bell, and Garside.
STOKE:
Robinson; Turner, and Hay; Baddeley, Hall, and Tomlinson; Leigh, Smith, Lesse, Griffiths, and Milward.
Referee: Mr A.E. Farrant, of Bristol.

The recent heavy rain had left the turf very lumpy in places. The City were first out, quickly followed by Stoke, in their red and white perpendicular stripes. The visitors met with a very cordial reception, and Robinson came in for a special cheer. Baddeley, who captained the visitors in the absence of Mullineux, won the toss, and the Grecians were set to face a brilliant sun, one further handicap.
Watson was checked by Hall, then Craig and Jones were quickly in action, to break up the first Stoke attack. Hartley eventually cleared the ball well over the half-way line, and Garside forced the first corner of the match, off Turner. Jones checked the next Stoke advance, and cleared his lines with an enormous high kick, which was too far in front of his forwards. Atkinson intercepted a pass and sent the ball out to Green, who raced through to the goal-line and put across a fine centre which Robinson punched away. The Rugby field was not proving very suitable for the Association code, and many passes went astray on the uneven ground. Though Exeter pressed a lot they could not force a tangible advantage. Smith was hurt in a collision, and left the field dazed, and Watson, receiving the ball from Craig, fired in a fine screw shot which Robinson pushed round the post for a corner, the kick going behind. In further City pressure Bell tried his luck with a long shot, but the ball flew yards wide. Little had so far been seen of the Stoke forwards, but when Smith returned the unexpected happened. Smith was let in by the backs, and darting through he gave Sturge no chance whatsoever, the visitors thus taking a lead which on the run of the play they certainly did not deserve. Sturge, in fact, had only had to handle the ball once before Stoke scored their goal.
HALF TIME: STOKE 1 CITY 0
Exeter had had all the play in the first half, but the glaring sun, and Robinson, had beaten them, Robinson twice saving when all seemed lost. Sturge, on the other hand, had been called upon only three times. Bell, who had injured his leg just before half-time, turned out for the second half, but was seen to be limping badly, and was little more than a passenger. Exeter started well, but Stoke counter-attacked well, and Jones cleared his lines under great pressure. Exeter returned with a vengeance, and forced a corner, from which Hartley, taking a first time drive, equalised amid tremendous excitement, sending the ball into the net through a crowd of players. Hartley was mobbed by his jubilant colleagues, and promptly turned an impromptu somersault.
The City continued to have most of the play, and a shot by Garside travelled inches over the bar at great speed. The ball was hardly ever out of the Stoke half of the field, and their defenders did not hesitate to find touch to relieve the pressure. Endless touch-finders from the hard-pressed Potters continued to be the order of the day, until at last Jones directed a long pass out to Green, who took the ball almost to the line before centreing. It would have been a certain goal, but Garside failed to trap the ball, which was easily gathered by Robinson.
After Garside had headed over the bar and Green had shot into the side of the net, Harrison headed against the bar from a well taken free kick by Atkinson, and subsequently Hartley fired in a tremendous shot from thirty yards out, the ball going just wide. Bell was fouled inside the penalty area, but Mr Farrant refused to penalise Stoke, and from another corner Chadwick headed over, Watson doing the same a moment later.

FULL TIME: EXETER CITY 1 STOKE 1
Extra time of a quarter of an hour each way was decided upon, Stoke commencing in better form than they had showed throughout the first 90 minutes. With the City backs at fault, Smith got between them, and Sturge had to run out and smother Smith's effort. He saved again from Griffiths, and at the other end, and in the penalty area, Mr Farrant passed over a glaring case of hands against Stoke. From a corner kick Exeter looked certain scorers, and a remarkable scrimmage took place, in the course of which fists were alleged to have been used. The ball was eventually thrown down by the referee, and Robinson saved an over head kick by Chadwick, Atkinson then sending wide.
The teams crossed over again, and excitement was keener than ever. Robinson saved once more under pressure, and another corner fell to the City. A mistake by Craig let the Stoke forwards through, but the Exeter man recovered in time to clear the danger himself. No further scoring took place, and at the end of two hours' football the score remained:
Exeter City 1-1 Stoke 1

CONCERNING THE REPLAY AND SOME OBSERVATIONS

The replay takes place on Monday at Stamford Bridge, the ground of the Chelsea F.C., or failing that being available, at Fulham. The City directors suggested Bristol as the venue, but the Stoke management proposed, as an alternative, Birmingham, the West Bromwich Albion ground being available. Exeter declined to consider this, and London was finally agreed upon. The winners have been drawn against Newcastle United, at home, in the next round. There has rarely been a game in which one side had so much of the play yet failed to win. The City were attacking for four-fifths of the time, but Robinson once more thwarted them, and has now twice saved the "Potters" from defeat. Stoke deserve credit, however, for pulling themselves together after they had apparently gone all to pieces about the time that Hartley scored.
The attendance was between five and six thousand at the County Ground.