CUP TIE: VISIT OF MERTHYR TO ST. JAMES'S PARK
WELSH ENTHUSIASTS
Changes in the Exeter Team:
Saturday, November 18th 1911. Exeter City v Merthyr Town.

Today Exeter City were engaged, like several other Southern League and Second Division English League clubs, in the F.A., or English Cup. They were fortunate enough to be drawn at home, and their opponents were Merthyr Town, of the Second Division of the Southern League, this being the first occasion on which the Grecians had met a South Wales side in serious football. Merthyr Town came to Exeter yesterday with any amount of confidence, and their followers were fully expecting a draw at St. James's Park and a win in the replay. They based their optimism on the recent doings of the Welsh club compared with poor performances by the City. For instance, while Exeter had not won a match at St. James's since Swindon were here in the Charity Cup, and not a League match since September 16th., Merthyr, on the other hand, had been going great guns. They drew in the Cup with Cardiff City at home, and beat the "Bluebirds" at Cardiff after extra time, the game being a hard tussle for both sides. Following this they swamped Camerton by 12-nil after the latter had beaten Bath City and other teams of second-class repute, while last Saturday the Merthyr men went one step nearer promotion by winning at Southend, with Taylor scoring the only goal.

THE MERTHYR PLAYERS.
The Merthyr Town players mostly come from good clubs, though none of them, save perhaps Costello and White, are known to Southern League followers. White has played for Queen's Park Rangers and Leeds City, and has the reputation of being a particularly fearless defender, while Costello is the former Southampton and West Ham centre-forward. Lewis, Russell, and Taylor are locals, Craig came from Southend United, Gates, the captain, from Grimsby Town, Churchill from Portsmouth, Savage from Bristol Rovers, Draper from Birmingham, and Lowe from Aston Villa. Exeter City had hoped to be able to put out a good side, although Pratt and Prideaux were still unfit. Yesterday, how ever, it was found that Whittaker could not yet trust his finger, which was recently broken, while Parnell broke down in training. Chapman and Enos Whittaker were therefore selected, while in the half-backs were Cornan and Rigby, the latter being preferred to Bassett. The morning was showery, and rain also fell shortly before the gates were opened, threequarters of an hour prior to the start. Merthyr excursionists and Exeter University College students, sporting green and red colours, were early arrivals and soon made their presence heard, if not felt. The crowd, however, was rather slow in arriving, owing doubtless to the early hour of the kick-off. Almost at the last moment Merthyr announced one change, Dodds appearing for Draper, who was injured at Southend. It was not considered that this change weakened the visitors. Teams :
EXETER CITY: Chapman Evans Coates
Rigby Griffiths Cornan Whittaker(E) Watson Rutter Lockett Gar side
Referee: Mr C.Neale, of Bristol.
MERTHYR TOWN: Lewis, White, Russell, Craig, Gates, Churchill Savage Dodds Costello Lowe Taylor 

During the time of waiting the students and excursionists helped to keep things lively with renderings of Welsh songs. Ten minutes before the start there were fewer than 4,000 on the ground, but the crowd was rapidly increasing. Merthyr appeared first, in jerseys that looked decidedly washed out, the bodies being a tawdry green with red collars and edging. The City quickly followed amid a roar of cheering, and prompt to time the captains were called up for the toss.
Watson won the toss, and chose to play from the St. James's Road end. Costello kicked off, and Merthyr at once got away, Lowe being checked by Evans. Watson then put Whittaker on the move, and from his centre Lewis dropped the ball but cleared at the second attempt. Exeter came again with a forward rush, and Rutter nearly caught Lewis napping. Then Merthyr Town got another look in, and Taylor was not fast or clever enough to beat Evans. Griffiths kicked into touch, and Taylor ran the ball over the goal-line before he could centre.

Garside Scores.
Merthyr forced a corner, Chapman tipping over a fine shot by Dodds. Costello headed on to the crossbar from the flag kick, the ball bouncing over. Two free kicks were given to Merthyr, the second against Griffiths, but Exeter came back in a heavy attack, and the Welsh halves hesitated. Garside saw his chance, and nipping in, got to the ball just as Lewis fell for it. The Exeter winger was the quicker, however, and plunged the ball over the goalkeeper's head into the net. White was slow, and with greater speed might have been able to check Garside. It was the goal of a man fully alive to his opportunities.
An Ugly Scene.
Exeter had the best of matters for a minute or two, but the Welshmen were by no means a spent force, and twice attacked in promising style. Cornan was laid out, and was lame for a time. Dodds was the best of Merthyr's forwards, and Coates had all his work cut out trying to stop him. Cornan put in a lovely long shot at goal, and Whittaker forced a corner off Russell, but placed the flag kick poorly. Savage dodged Coates and got right through, Chapman saving by the post. The goalkeeper was busy again directly afterwards in clearing from Dodds, and an ugly scene occurred in the goalmouth when he jumped for the ball, fisted it away, and gathered the return, only to be kicked by one of the Merthyr forwards. The referee, however, "poured oil on the troubled waters", and also had to step in again directly afterwards when things were looking unpleasant. From a long run down the touch-line by Garside, Lewis had a remarkable escape, saving with several players around him. Free kicks now became all too frequent, and in a collision with White, Cornan was stunned and had to be led off. Watson beat Russell and centred with accuracy, and Lockett struck the side of the net from this move. Exeter were the better side, but Merthyr were far from dispirited, and their forwards were playing very well. Cornan returned with a plaster over his eye, and straight away gave Lockett a fine pass which was wasted by his shooting wide. Garside then had a shot bounce behind off an opponent for a corner, and only the packing of their goal saved Merthyr from the flag kick. Five munites before the interval Merthyr rallied strongly, and Chapman saved a cross-shot from Dodds, whilst Lowe fired over from close range.
Half-time: 
Exeter City 1-0 Merthyr Town.

Second Half.
There were about 5,000 present at the restart. The weather was threatening when the teams came out again. Whittaker was fouled, but Merthyr got the ball away from the free-kick, and Savage made ground at a fast pace. From his centre Chapman jumped up and palmed the ball away, but with three forwards following up it was a mystery that Merthyr failed to score. Lewis had just as narrow an escape shortly afterwards when he knew little about a pile-driver from Whittaker which bounced off his legs to safety.
Equalising Goal.
Garside and Rutter ran up neck and neck and both missed the ball, whereas one on his own would have done better. The game was now very fast, and from one rapid sortie the home defence was caught out of position, and Dodds scored the equalising goal with a fine shot, amid a roar of Welsh cheering. The Grecians pressed hotly for the lead again, and kept the Welshmen penned in their own territory. Cornan and Lockett had changed positions, the old Notts Forest man having done little in the forward line so far. Whittaker forced another corner, and Garside was always prominent on the other wing, but White and Russell were very sound in defence. Gates was hurt in a collision with Griffiths, but resumed, although rather lame, after the trainer's attention. Merthyr were pinned back on the defensive, and kicked to touch at every opportunity.

Solid Defence.
Following a throw-in Taylor got the ball, but shot wide of mark, and Watson at the other end put one just over the bar with a fast drive. Costello received ironical cheers for a wild kick to touch, and Exeter could not get moving in anything like dangerous style against Merthyr's solid defence, in which Russell and White were practically unbeatable. Merthyr were, in fact, simply packing their goal. In a last desperate rally the City forced another corner, which was cleared, but Coates returned the ball and Cornan whipped in a rising shot that just cleared the crossbar. In the last two or three minutes Merthyr attacked, and Chapman fielded a long, dropping shot from Costello. Twice running Merthyr kicked the ball out into the adjoining school field, then Exeter rushed down in a line and Lewis ran out and saved. Griffiths kicked behind, and White charged down another shot by Cornan. Final:

EXETER CITY 1-1 MERTHYR TOWN

Notes on the Game.
On the play Exeter were much the better side, without ever being at anything like their best. It was a poor game; scrappy, ragged, and with free-kicks all too frequent. Garside's goal was a good one, and he was one of the few men on the field who showed any appreciation of what was required. Once or twice Exeter got away in heavy rushes, and came within an ace of scoring, and yet for all that they cannot claim to have been very unlucky not to have won. Their football was not particularly clever, and the attack was not anything like subtle enough to break down a defence like Merthyr's. For long spells in the second half the Grecians played into the hands of White and Russell, as it were, by hugging the ball in the centre instead of flinging it out to the wings. Merthyr deserve every credit for their draw. They cannot make any pretensions to being a class side, but they play a plodding, dogged game that is ideal for the Cup-ties, and the centre
The side for the replay has yet to be picked, but the directors might do worse than ask Chadwick to turn out again. His steadying influence might make just the difference needed, and his lack of speed would not be a serious handicap against the Merthyr attack, which is not very fast.