Saturday, December 16th 1911.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE
PALACE V CITY
Parnell in Exeter's Attack Again
AN EARLY JOURNEY

Before daylight this morning, the Exeter City players and trainer, accompanied by one director (Chadwick had gone to London on business yesterday), left Queen Street en route for Waterloo, in preparation for their Southern League game at the Crystal Palace. The train departed from Exeter at 7. 20 a. m., and London was reached four hours later, so that there was plenty of time for lunch afterwards, and then the journey to Sydenham.

PALACE Johnson Collyer Bulcock Hatton Hughes Hanger Garratt Williams Hewitt Harker Davies
Referee: Mr A. Hargraves, of Blackpool.
CITY:- Whittaker Fort Coates Bassett Griffiths Prideaux Parnell Watson Rutter Cornan Lockett 

The team which was picked was considerably different to any which had previously done duty this season. Walter Whittaker considered his recently broken finger well enough to resume his place in goal, but on the other hand the facial injury which Evans sustained in Wednesday's match as the result of a collision in which he, Kirkpatrick of the Argyle, and Griffiths were concerned, was still bad and kept him out of the match today. Coates was therefore partnered by Fort. Pratt was not yet fit, and Griffiths played centre-half with Bassett and Prideaux alongside him. Rutter was brought back to the centre forward position, and Parnell was in the team once more to the disposal of Enos Whittaker, while Lockett, as the result of a fine show against Norwich, was entrusted to the outside left berth, Garside not yet being able to resume. The team was, therefore, rather a curiously constituted one, and there was much speculation as to how it would shape. A win, of course, was never for a moment expected. Early this season both Swindon and Brighton drew at the Palace, but the "Glaziers" since then have greatly improved, and on the last Saturday in October they beat Norwich by six goals to nil. The sad death of Woodhouse, their young centre forward, a fortnight ago, has weakened their attack, but they are still one of the best sides in the League, and Joe Bul cock, the old City back, is still one of their stalwarts. The famous Sydenham ground, the home of the English Cup Final, was reached an hour before the start, which, on the advice of the referee, was put forward five minutes, to make sure of sufficient light at the finish.
The Game
Whittaker won the toss, and chose to play from the old weir end. The Palace players were wearing black armlets in memory of Woodhouse. They at once attacked on the right, but were checked by Prideaux, and Coates sent them back with a hefty clearance. Exeter then took up the running, and Parnell swung across a centre which Cornan ran to and headed straight for goal, the ball being headed out by Bulcock. But for Bulcock's inter caption a goal would certainly have resulted. Two free kicks were given against Exeter, whose defence was being taxed to the full by the clever Palace forwards. Watson, however, led one dangerous sortie, and Cornan was prominent, but missed one of Lockett's square passes.

No Holding the Home Forwards.
Garratt was pulled up for offside, and then, at the end of nine minutes play the Palace got through on the left. Harker was let in, and passed to Williams, who fired in a low drive with plenty of power behind it, and Whittaker was beaten. After scoring so early in the game there was no holding the home forwards, and Whittaker saved a sharp shot from Harker, stopping the ball almost on the line. The Palace came near to getting a second goal, Whittaker having to be on the alert to save from Williams, the ball bouncing out to Coates, who was able to clear although harassed by the Palace centre forward. Watson was seen to advantage in a clever dribble, giving the ball then to Parnell, from whose centre Cornan headed just wide. Bulcock's powerful kicking and keen positional play were features of the match. The old Exeter back was keeping well up the field, and repeatedly catching the Grecians offside. In an Exeter attack Johnson saved twice from Cornan, but Davies got away again for the Palace, and gave Garratt practically an open goal, but the right-winger shot wildly across the field, and the ball went out of play on the opposide side.

City Defence Weak.
The credit for the second goal went to Harker, who bored his way through, resolutely refusing to be pushed off the ball, and Whittaker ran out when he would have done better to have stayed where he was. Harker then tapped the ball across to Hewitt, who simply had to shoot it into the unguarded net. The Exeter City defence was weak, and frequently drawn out of position by the quick passing and inter-changing of the Palace forwards. Whittaker saved in fine style from Garratt, and Hewitt just missed with a fast drive. Exeter came back with a brief rally, and Johnson was tested by Cornan and Watson. Davies then got through, but failed miserably with an easy chance, and Rutter did just as badly for the City after Watson had put him clear of the Palace backs. Half-time: Palace 2-0 City 
Second Half.
Exeter began the second half in better style, and Lockett got through in a dangerous position, but shot wide. Then a clearance by Hughes took play back to the City end, Williams shooting across the goal for Davies to volley the ball over the goal-line. Fort fouled Davies just outside the penalty area, and Hanger, from the free kick, sent narrowly over the bar. Mistakes by Griffiths and Bassett enabled the Palace to keep play at the City end, and a third goal ensued when a fast bit of play between Davies and Williams ended with Williams beating Whittaker "all ends up" with a ferocious drive into the top left-hand corner. The City, whose forwards were very slow by comparison with the Palace front line, wasted one or two reasonable chances, and then were put under a further handicap when Parnell broke down and had to be taken off. With three goals against them, and the forward line reduced to four men, Exeter's position appeared hopeless. Davies got a fourth goal for the Palace after going round Fort, the move having been started by Bulcock. For some time the Palace did almost as they pleased, so weak was the City's opposition, but Lockett brought off a fine single-handed run and gave Rutter a chance in a thousand. However, with the goal almost gaping in front of him Rutter drove the ball over the bar, to the accompaniment of ironical cheering. Exeter were clearly a beaten side, and after more pressure by the Palace Harker scored their fifth goal. With fifteen minutes to go the light was already failing, and the Palace should have scored their sixth goal when a centre from Garratt was side-footed over the bar by Davies. Exeter's last move was a good run by Lockett, then Whittaker made a brilliant save from Davies.
Final:
CRYSTAL PALACE 5-0 EXETER CITY Scorers:- Williams 2, Hewitt, Davies, Harker.
Last season: Palace 1 City 0.
In 1909-10: Palace 3 City 0.

Notes on the Game.
The Crystal Palace team, despite having to be rearranged following the tragic loss of their centre-forward, worked like a piece of well oiled machinery from start to finish, and by scoring goals at fairly regular intervals never allowed the City to settle down. Changing ends with a lead of two goals the Palace did practically as they pleased in the second half, and their half backs and forwards combined to play a dazzling game. Hughes was the mainspring of the attack, and Williams, in addition to scoring two goals, led the forward line in brilliant fashion. Garratt was the only home forward who did not get a goal, but he provided plenty of ammunition for the others, and in the closing stages he gave Davies an identical opening to the one which Lockett had earlier given Rutter, but both shots were put over the bar. With their forwards so much in control of the game, the Palace backs had not a great deal to do, but it was noticeable that Bul cock's play has improved considerably since he was at Exeter in 1908-09. His kicking, although not lacking in power, is better controlled than in his Exeter City days, and he now utilises the laws of the game to get opposing forwards into offside positions. The City were, of course, extremely unlucky to lose the use of Parnell for nearly half the game, but that apart, there is little that can be said for them. They were out of the picture from first to last, and with the defence in a tangle for much of the time the forwards also became disorganised. Whittaker was frequently in action, and made many brilliant saves, but was mainly responsible for the second goal by coming out too far and presenting an easy target.

CITY RESERVES V ORESTON ROVERS.
Devon Senior Cup-tie.
At St. James's Park this afternoon, Exeter City Reserves met Oreston Rovers in the second round of the Devon Cup. The City had to start with ten players, two of the originally selected team failing to put in an appearance, and Oreston refused to allow the Reserves to include a professional. The teams lined up as follows, Exeter playing one back, Godbere, who substituted for White.

Reserves: - Pym; Godbere; Lewis, Martin, Clarke; Arscott, Taylor, Bailey, Chenneour, and Colwill.
Oreston :- Edwards; Elliott, Woodley; Davis, Bustin, Ellis; Tozer, Kingwell, Wear, Coombes, and Tredigo.

Play settled in midfield, and after about five minutes the City were reduced to nine men, Bailey having to retire with an injury. However, Arscott got away and Edwards had to save from Taylor and Chenneour. Then the visiting forwards got moving, and Pym was responsible for an exceptionally fine save from Kingwell. Coombes and Tredigo kept play in the vicinity of the City goal, and Pym saved a certain score by running out and catching a centre from Tozer. Oliver and Bailey then came out and completed the Exeter team, Clarke going back and Oliver taking over at left-half. After Edwards had saved from Taylor, Colwill wasted a grand opportunity, completely miskicking Arscott's centre in front of the posts. At the other end Pym saved from Wear, but play was generally evenly balanced with neither side holding much advantage over the other.
Taylor was given offside, when well placed, after receiving from Chenneour. Bailey was still limping, and was of no use in the forward line. In fact, the Exeter forwards constituted a very weak line, Taylor being the only one to show anything like good form. Oliver was just in time to kick away from Wear, and at the interval the score was:
City 0, Rovers 0.
Second Half.
On the restart the City quickly became aggressive, Taylor sending behind. Godbere was injured, but resumed after a brief stoppage. Exeter were still with only ten players, for Bailey did not come out after the interval, but Oliver changed places with Colwill in an effort to put some life into the forward line. Edwards saved a shot from Chenneour, but play was sent back to the City end, where Tredigo intercepted a kick from Godbere and centred to Kingwell, who headed the ball past Pym for the opening goal. Oreston were now having by far the better of the game, and the City defence was being given an anxious time. Godbere was again at fault in putting Kingwell in possession, and a second goal resulted, Pym just touching Kingwell's shot but being un able to keep it out of the net. After Lewis had missed an open goal Chenne our scored for Exeter, but Oreston rushed the ball through from a scrimmage, and won the game by three to one.

• THE PROPOSED THIRD DIVISION.
  In response to a circular issued by the League secretary, thirty-eight replies have been received in regard to the proposed Third Division of the Football League. The two clubs which did not bother to answer were Huddersfield Town and Stockport County. The voting showed that only eleven clubs favoured the formation of a third division, and twenty-six were against, one remaining neutral. As it needs thirty clubs to be in favour of the alteration to a rule, there is no possibility of the Third Division being formed