Match 14
3rd November 1934
Charlton Athletic (h)

Southern League
Barry (a)

Saturday, November 3rd 1934.
CITY'S SENSATIONAL SECOND HALF RALLY 
League Leaders Well Defeated at Exeter POULTER S

THRILLING GOAL COMPLETES CHARLTON'S DOWNFALL

Exeter City 3 Charlton Athletic 1.

There were only four thousand spectators at St James's Park to day when Tom Scott lost the toss and Exeter kicked off towards the city end in dull weather. But they saw Exeter City give a vastly improved display, and to the contrary of expectations and forecasts mount a tremendous fighting rally in the second half to finally defeat the League leaders by three goals to one. Davies, who returned to the Exeter side in place of Chesters, a victim of influenza, showed all his old-time brilliance, whilst Hurst, playing on the left wing, led the Charlton defenders a merry dance. Poulter was a persevering and hard working leader of the attack, and was rewarded by a brilliant goal towards the end of the game which completed Charlton's downfall.

EXETER CITY
Davies
Gray Angus
Clarke Webb Lewis
J.Scott Wrightson Poulter T.Scott Hurst

Referee:- Mr A.J. Brown, of Bristol.

Hobbis Stephenson Allen Robinson J.Smith
Dodgin Jobling Harris
Turner N.Smith
Wright
CHARLTON ATHLETIC


The League leaders, Charlton Athletic, found Exeter City, who are at the bottom of the table, rather tough nuts to crack, for the City scored first and Charlton had to fight hard to be on level terms at the interval. They were in fact very lucky to be able to cross over on terms of equality, for the penalty kick which was given against two of their players for "sandwiching" Wrightson was put over the bar by T.Scott, the City captain. The game opened at a fast pace with Charlton, as expected, on the attack, but in their first move J.Smith centred behind the goal-line, the ball falling on top of the net, and in their second a sizzling shot from Allen from no more than ten yards was caught by Davies with all his old-time brilliant, and his clearance was swift and accurately placed to his forwards. Wrightson ought to have scored for Exeter from Hurst's opening but he drove the ball wide.

CITY SCORE!

Davies again came to Exeter's rescue when he caught and cleared a menacing centre from Stephenson. The Londoners displayed their class with swift moves and accurate combination, but the Exeter team withstood strong pressure and then broke away to take the lead after eleven minutes' play. Clarke dispossessed Stephenson and passed along the carpet to Wrightson, and the tall inside right transferred the ball in turn to Tom Scott. Scott shot hard for goal and a Charlton man got in the way, and when the ball came back to him Scott made no mistake, driving high into the net with great force. This unexpected success delighted the crowd, and the cheering of Scott's goal had hardly died down when Poulter, with a touch of "Dixie" Dean, grazed the crossbar with a wonderful header from J.Scott's centre. After T.Scott had taken (and missed) the penalty Charlton got into their stride again, and Allen, who had previously made a bad blunder by firing wide of an open goal, gave Davies not the slightest chance with a well placed low shot in the corner of Exeter's net to equalise, the move being created by Jobling. At half-time the score was one all. Though Charlton had been the better football side, and there could be no doubts about that, they had still only scored one goal, and the tragedy for Exeter was that they had wasted a penalty kick. But the feature of the first half was the wonderful form of Davies, who was again the brilliant custodian everyone knows him to be.

SECOND HALF.

Charlton's troubles began immediately after the change of ends, when Exeter, with the crowd at fever pitch of excitement, went at them hammer and tongs, crowding on all sail with dangerous advances down both wings and through the centre. And within two minutes of the start the Grecians regained the lead in dramatic fashion. Poulter started the move by whipping the ball forward to Hurst, who darted round Norman Smith and centred just out of the reach of Wright. Jack Scott closed in and shot, and with Wright out of position Turner, standing on the goal-line, handled in order to prevent a certain goal being scored. Another penalty! The crowd, hushed and silent, waited eagerly while Webb stepped forward and coolly put the ball past Wright with a well placed shot a foot inside the upright.

EXETER'S INSPIRED SPELL.

Charlton were now being outpaced, and their defence became very uncertain as the Grecians, with Clarke and Lewis backing up the forwards enthusiastically, crowded on incessant pressure. Wrightson in his elegant style captured the ball on the right wing, strode past the opposition and centred, but Jobling was able to head clear from the dashing City forwards. Raid upon raid was beaten back only in the barest nick of time, and the play of Exeter was inspired and inspiring at this stage. Hurst now came into prominence, electrifying the crowd with a wonderful burst through the middle. Though hotly assailed by three opponents Hurst in his ungainly galloping style refused to be beaten and he held on to the ball tenaciously before winding up with a fast rising drive. The ball flashed towards the far post, and only a magnificent one-handed deflection by Wright saved Charlton. The resultant corner gave Charlton no trouble, though Poulter nearly surprised Wright a few minutes later with a backward header on the line of the penalty area.

EXETER'S GRAND FINISH.

Another glorious run by Hurst, in which he went past Harris and N.Smith like an express train, saw the ball lofted high across to the other side of the field. Wrightson and J.Scott went for it together, and it was Wrightson's foot which drove it barely a yard over the crossbar. Five minutes before the finish the issue was placed beyond all reasonable doubt. T.Scott evaded a tackle by Jobling and passed the ball into the centre. Poulter anticipated the move, nipped in between the backs and gained possession as Wright advanced from his goal. Poulter kept control and worked his way to the left of the goalkeeper, leaving him sprawling in the mud as he triumphantly ran the ball into the empty net in the true Fred Whitlow style. It was a wonderful goal, and a thrilling climax to the City's brilliant second half display. In the last minute Harris was cautioned by the referee for a bad foul on Hurst, who had tormented him throughout the second half.

Southern League
BARRY V EXETER CITY RESERVES.


Playing in a Southern League match at Barry, the City Reserves were beaten by the local team by three goals to nil. The goals were scored in the second half by Sullivan (2) and Pullen (1).

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