Saturday, April 1st 1911.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE:

PORTSMOUTH v EXETER CITY.

A Reserve match was in progress at Fratton Park when Exeter City arrived, and ended only a few minutes before the firsts entered the arena. It had been raining at Portsmouth since 11 o'clock, and as a consequence the ground was in a treacherous state, and the crowd a small one, less than 3,000 being present.

Portsmouth: Cope; Count, Warner; Yates, Worthington, Knight; Hall, Turner, Kirby, McMahon, and Long.
City: Whittaker; Evans, Coates; Duffy, Pratt, Bassett; Parnell, Watson, James, Bell, and Garside.
Referee: Mr B.M.Neville, of London.

Portsmouth put up a good game in the opening half, and after Cope had had a lucky escape from a fast shot by Bassett, and a return from Bell which hit the crossbar, they concentrated themselves upon the attack. Whittaker had plenty of work to do, and saved two shots from Kirby that would have beaten most goalkeepers. The second half ran largely in Exeter's favour, although Kirby once rattled the crossbar with a volley from close in. But Cope and his backs had to show their best form to resist repeated onslaughts, and on at least two occasions they were lucky not to capitulate, Watson and Bell both missing practically open goals.
Result
Portsmouth 0 Exeter City 0.

Friendly
CITY RESERVES v BABBACOMBE.

Babbacombe visited St. James's Park this afternoon for a friendly against the City Reserves. The teams have previously met twice this season in League matches, the Citizens having won at Exeter and drawn at Torquay.

Reserves: Wells; Heppell, White; Martin, Griffiths, Russell; Whittaker, Bailey, Smith, Kent, and Cooke.
Babbacombe:- Crute; Birbeck, Prowse; Mansfield, Hopkins, Terry; Bartlett, Gilchrist, Odam, Bipsham, and Clifford.

After a goal by Smith had been disallowed for impeding Crute, the City opened the scoring five minutes before the interval, Kent's shot entering the net via the upright. Crute, who played a brilliant game for the Babes, remained unbeaten until three minutes from the end, Smith scoring Exeter's second goal.