Easter Monday, March 28th 1910.
Bank Holiday Football.
EXETER CITY v BRIGHTON

League Leaders at St. James's Park
Exeter City had an important Southern League engagement at St. James' Park today, Brighton & Hove Albion, who are top of the Table, and who beat the Grecians on Good Friday by 2-1, being the visitors. The game promised to be a desperately keen one, for Exeter were in dire need of points, while the Seasiders were naturally all out for Championship honours. On paper, the City's chances appeared to be very poor, for Copestake, suffering from throat infection, was unable to play. Bell was chosen to lead the attack, with Hartley inside-left, and Garside and Green occupying the wing berths. Brighton brought down the same side as beat New Brompton on Saturday by 5-1
Teams :
CITY
Crossthwaite
Crelley Jones
Tierney Ambler Atkinson
Green Watson Bell Hartley Garside

Referee:- Mr J.T.Howcroft, of Bolton.

Hastings Webb Jones Coleman Longstaff Haworth McGhie Booth Leeming Blackburn
Whiting
BRIGHTON

At 3 o'clock there were fully five thousand present, but no promise of such a packed crowd as last Boxing Day when the Argyle were here. A few Plymouthians, however, were present, and at the kick off the crowd was a little over 7,000. Watson won the toss, a big advantage today, and put Brighton to face the sun. The visitors at once got away, and Crelley put to touch. The ball eventually went behind and at the other end Watson put in a fine shot, Whiting carrying behind in saving. Green placed the flag, kick very poorly, but the City came once again, and Watson headed in. Whiting dropped the ball, and it surely went over the line before Leeming kicked away, but Mr Howcroft refused Exeter's claims for a goal.
Keeping up the pace magnificently the City still penned Brighton. in, and Green's square centre fell on top of the net, amid great excitement. McGhie was hurt, but resumed, and Jones (City) miskicked and conceded a corner. Crossthwaite punched the ball behind over a crowd of heads, and from the second corner Bell gathered the ball and passed across to Green, who forced a corner off Whiting, coming out. Once again Green made a poor attempt at the flag kick. Exeter's Jones overran the ball when well placed, then Bell, taking it on the run, fired just over. In contrast to Saturday's match it was turning out to be a fine game, - football as it should be played.
After Garside had driven right across the goal and Hartley had put a header over the bar Watson was fouled just outside the penalty area, and Brighton had to pack their goal to keep the City forwards out. Little had been seen of the Brighton attack up to this point, but they were plainly baffled by the sun, and Blackman once stood helpless as the ball descended in his direction.
EVERY INCH CONTESTED
Play now veered slightly in Brighton's favour, but every inch of ground was still magnificently contested, and there were some narrow escapes at each end. McGhie was accidentally kicked, and retired, and just on half-time Bell gave Whiting a scorching ground shot which the 'keeper saved on all fours. Half-time: No score.
McGhie resumed in the second half, and Brighton were the first to attack. Crossthwaite saved a spinning shot from Webb, and Longstaff was tackled just in time by Crelley. Exeter, in their turn facing the sun, were finding it difficult to get their attack moving, and in one fierce assault on the home goal Brighton unsuccessfully appealed for a penalty against Exeter's Jones. Exeter at last took the game to the Brighton end, and ironical cheers went up when Booth kicked the ball clean out of the ground. After some midfield play Brighton got away amid appeals for offside, and Jones, their centre-forward, headed a goal from Hastings' pass. Watson, in a good attempt to head an equaliser, put just over the bar, but collided with one of the Brighton backs and had to be carried off the field suffering from concussion. The two Joneses "squared up" to one another, and the Exeter back complained of being deliberately kicked by his Brighton namesake. Mr Howcroft, however, poured oil on the troubled waters and the game continued as fast as ever. One of the most strenuously contested and fastest games ever seen at St. James's Park ended in a win for Brighton by one goal to nil. Exeter City can consider themselves a trifle unfortunate to have lost, for they had a greater share of the game, particularly in the first half.


Plymouth and District League 
CITY RESERVES v WOODLAND VILLA
Exeter City Reserves met Woodland Villa at St. James's Park today in a Plymouth and District League match, four points being at stake. The match was played early in the afternoon, as a "curtain raiser" to the big match between the first team and Brighton, previously noted. Exeter fielded an all-amateur team, and Percy Warner, the former St. Luke's student, appeared at inside-left. The City had to play facing the sun in the first half, and for a long time the exchanges were even and interesting, except that there was too much long, high kicking. In one sharp attack on the Villa goal the 'keeper punched out very weakly with Drew and Martin bearing down on him, and Warner, presented with almost an open goal, skied the ball high over the bar. Letheren and Oliver were prominent in the City half-back line, and between them they initiated several attacks, but their forwards were too erratic, and failed to profit from the excellent service they were receiving. Towards half-time the Villa made spirited efforts to score, but the football, generally, was only moderate on both sides.
Half-time:
City Reserves 0, Woodland Villa 0.
Early in the second half Drew put in the best shot of the match so far, and the Villa goalkeeper did well to punch it away. The City were clearly the better team, and had they had any forwards well versed in the art of strong and accurate shooting must have put the issue beyond doubt. From a centre by Fenwick right across the goal Warner again put a shot well over the bar, and thus chances went a-begging.
A GOAL AT LAST
At last, from a corner forced by Bevan the ball went bobbing from head to head near the posts till in the end Letheren got possession and banged it into goal.The City should have increased their lead directly afterwards, following a free kick and a centre by Fenwick, but in his accustomed style Warner shot too high. In a rare attack by the visitors W. Wells brought off a good save from the outside-right, then down at the other end the Villa goalkeeper conceded a corner in a general scramble. Ten minutes before the finish Martin scored the City's second goal, and the match ended with the score:
Exeter City Reserves 2 goals, Woodland Villa 0.